Circuit Breaker
by KillehKiwi
Summary: Georgia McGuiness never wanted to be a hero, but when S.H.I.E.L.D approaches her for the third time, she knows she can't refuse. An engineer that makes it very clear that she doesn't want to be there, Georgia isn't exactly up for being a 'team player'. But when she meets a certain 'green rage monster', the technopath can't help but soften up. Bruce/OC 'M' Rating starts on Ch. 22
1. Chapter 1

_Circuit Breaker_

"And, Agent Hill." Nick Fury said, turning to his agent. She stood at attention, awaiting his orders.

"Yes, sir?" she inquired following Fury's hesitation.

"I need you to go after the last one. Originally, Agent Barton was assigned to her case, when he was still in his right mind. But since he is currently hypnotized, or whatever the hell that lunatic did to him, the responsibility is left to you." Fury continued, checking his watch. "Agent Romanoff is in India, I am going to be busy with Rogers, and Coulson is with Stark... and God knows how long that is going to take. You're the last one I trust enough."

"Of course, sir." she agreed immediately. "And, if I may speak freely... who is the 'last one'? Surely not another Avenger. S.H.I.E.L.D didn't assign anymore."

"We did." Fury snapped. "After the events in New Mexico... and with the new development plans in process, we added a last subject to the list. Somebody to help us with development and to either assist or fill in for Banner if he decided to refuse us."

"She lives in southern Germany, working as an engineer designated to furthering technology and finding clean power sources." he continued, holding out a jump drive with the woman in question's file stored on it. "Read over her file, then take a few men and have them drop you off. A vehicle will be waiting for you in Stuttgart. She's no Captain America, but I'm sure she'll prove to be a formidable foe. Granted that she has... resources.. handy." With that, Fury strode off to find his own hero.

...

Tony Stark grumbled to himself as he opened the file that Phil Coulson had dropped off for him. Holograms appeared around him, and he cocked his head in curiosity as he sifted through the files and profiles. He rested his chin in his hand as he turned, picking up the 'Tesseract' hologram and studying it.

"I'm already bored. Bring up the files that Coulson dropped off on the Avengers Initiative, Jarvis. I need to read over the file on one big, angry, green machine once more." he said, reading over Dr. Selvig's research on how the Tesseract emits low levels of gamma radiation.

The file was brought up, with pictures of Captain America and Bruce Banner coming up.

His interest was piqued when the photo of a woman popped up. She had dark, serious eyes, deep black hair, and a cold expression. Her name was written in white across the top of her photograph; Georgia McGuiness. He touched the file and opened it.

Inside there were two short paragraphs on the woman, basically explaining her abilities and brief background. She was born in Atlanta, Georgia.

"Wow. Her parents must have not liked her much." He said out loud to himself, finding it humorous that her parents would have named her after her own home state. He continued reading, learning that she achieved a Masters' Degrees in Engineering, and Science of Engineering. Tony cocked his head. There were so many types of engineering. It was strange that they didn't include what specifically she had studied.

The second, and last, paragraph consisted of a breakdown of her abilities. The article called her a 'technopath', having the ability to control, manipulate, and build with technology using only her mind. A few stipulations were included, such as the technology needed to at least have the ability to conduct an electrical current for her to be able to use it. Her name was added to the Avengers Initiative last.

That was it. The whole two paragraphs. Tony frowned as he searched through the rest of her file, but was only able to come up with the same picture of her looking coldly into the camera.

"Jarvis?" he said out loud as he continued to sift. "Find me more information on one 'Georgia McGuiness', would you?"

"Of course, sir." the Artificial Intelligence answered, and then after a brief pause said; "This would not have anything to do with making Ms. Potts jealous, now would it?" The AI sounded amused at the thought.

Tony rolled his eyes. "Of course not, Jarvis. I'm a curious man. And curious men find out things about possible 'Avengers' that S.H.I.E.L.D likes to hide from curious men." he answered.

"Very well, sir. I have compiled all available data into a file." Jarvis said, pulling it up as a hologram for Tony.

"Thanks, Jarvis." he murmured, and scanned the file, looking for any and all interesting tidbits about the woman.

When Tony came to information on McGuiness' education, his eyebrows shot up.

"Degrees in geotechnical engineering, computer engineering, control systems engineering, electrical and electronic engineering, engineering physics, mechanical engineering, software engineering, and systems engineering." he read aloud. "That S.H.I.E.L.D article sure didn't do her any justice, eh, Jarvis? She's almost as impressive as... well, me."

"But of course, she's not me. Does she have a multi-billion dollar company? Nooo. Does she have a cool supersuit? Noooo." Tony said sourly. "Unfair. Any history in heroics, Jarvis?" Tony asked when he got to the bottom of the article.

"None, sir. Ms. McGuiness studied at a college whose name I cannot find in any records, and is now working in southern Germany as an engineer, utilizing all of her talents into creating new, cleaner sources of energy and furthering studies in technology. This is as specific as any information on her is." Jarvis answered. "She has never created an alias with which to perform heroics."

Tony mused for a moment. "It seems strange that you can't find any school records regarding where she attended, hm? It seems as though S.H.I.E.L.D is trying to hide something about her. And when S.H.I.E.L.D wants to hide something... well it must be important to them. I don't like it, though."

"Well, sir, a 'technopath', as they are called, could be used for many things. Including, heaven forbid if she got into the wrong hands, aiding any enemy that S.H.I.E.L.D has. I imagine that she could possibly completely destroy any S.H.I.E.L.D technology. Including your suit, sir. Or your arc reactor."

Tony nodded. "Yes. I had thought of that. With this lunatic running around, S.H.I.E.L.D's gonna be frantic to keep her away from that Loki or any possible threat for that matter. That's possibly why information on her is so vague, S.H.I.E.L.D wants to keep everyone off of her trail except them." he said, shaking his head. "Can't wait to meet her."

...

_In Southern Germany..._

Georgia McGuiness was peeling off her labcoat as she entered her apartment. Her dark eyes scanned the room as she tossed the coat onto the chair and walked further into the living room.

She smelled the air suspiciously, the smell of burning was in the air. She followed the scent into the kitchen, and found the oatmeal from her breakfast on her stove, burning and smoking. She had forgot to turn off her stove in the rush to get into work this morning.

"_Um Gottes willen_!" she said in German angrily as she turned off the stove with an outstretched hand from the doorway. Her hand shot small, hot blue streaks of what could be classified as electricity at the stove. It powered down instantly. She took a few long strides to the stove and grasped the burning handle of the pot, throwing it into the sink and turning on the cold water. Steam poured off the pot and burned food as she inspected her hands.

"_Verdammt_." she muttered, but left the slight burns alone and stalked back into her living room.

"Sorry about that." a voice said from the window on the other side of her kitchen as Georgia reached the door. "I had to verify the claims."

Georgia turned swiftly, and her eyes settled on a uniformed woman leaning against the wall next to her. The light clicked on.

"A S.H.I.E.L.D agent. Wonderful." Georgia muttered, regarding the uniform with disdain before leaving the room. "I thought I made it quite clear to Nick Fury that I had no interest in helping you people."

"You have met him?" the agent said, and Georgia laughed without humor.

"Of course. I suppose he didn't supply you with that little detail." she said scornfully. "But as I've noticed, Nick Fury doesn't tell you people things very often. I've met the charming man twice. Both times, he's asked me to come and help S.H.I.E.L.D with either improving their technology or to research a new type of apparently 'limitless' energy that they've found. I must say, the second offer was quite intriguing. But because I don't fancy being in leagues with assassins and scientists, I once again refused. As I will today."

"Are you not a scientist as well?" the agent asked, following Georgia into the living room.

"No. I am an engineer. There's a difference, darling. They research. I create. Simple enough?" she said, mocking the younger girl a bit with her tone.

"Yes, ma'am." the agent said respectfully. She was required to recruit this woman, whatever it took. She was determined. She had gotten word that Natasha Romanoff was able to bring in Bruce Banner. She could clear her mission as well.

"My name is Maria Hill, and I am an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D as you already know." she said formally. "This has to do with the 'limitless' supply of energy that S.H.I.E.L.D has found and once had in their possession, named the Tesseract. A hostile by the name of Loki has captured it along with a few of our key members, including a very prestigious scientist who was doing extensive amounts of research on the Tesseract."

"What does any of this have to do with me?" Georgia demanded, interrupting the girl.

"S.H.I.E.L.D needs you, ma'am. We need you to help Dr. Bruce Banner track the Tesseract by means of gamma radiation and bring the power source back into S.H.I.E.L.D's possession before Loki uses it to take over the world." Maria continued.

"Gamma radiation? My knowledge on gamma rays is limited at best. I work with technology. Electricity, that I can help with. Computers, software, mechanics, those are what I know. Radiology is not of my practice. And as much as I'd simply love to help, I can't." Georgia snapped, crossing her bare arms with a frown.

"True, but nobody knows technology as well as you do." Agent Hill said, hoping to appeal to this woman's pride. "With your help, the process would be much quicker and more efficient. You would be back to your regular life in a more short amount of time. Without your help, the process could be must more difficult, or even prove to be impossible. The Avengers Initiative needs you."

Georgia eyed the girl suspiciously. "And I would never have to leave my 'regular life' if I refuse this, would I?" she said. "I could sit back and watch you guys do all the work. I don't do 'heroics'. I never have, and never will. I use my powers for recreational uses, only. I've never even thrown a punch. How could I be of use to you when it comes to 'avenging' and so forth?"

"We are prepared to help you train in basic levels of combat, in case you have any need of them. But as we said, your job would be to help us locate the Tesseract before any fighting has to come to pass." Maria explained.

Georgia thought for a moment. "I must refuse, Agent Hill. I honestly have no interest in helping you in any way. I would have to leave my very prestigious job. And for what? To create an alias as a 'super hero' and fight crime all day long? _Durchaus nicht._ Let this guy take over the world, see if I care. It won't effect me. He might be the best leader yet." she said, expression cold as ice.

Maria frowned. "It most certainly will effect you. Loki will be a tyrant. And you know what happens when a tyrant takes over? The end of science. The end of progress. He won't allow us to create new ideas or technology in fear of uprising. You'll be forbidden to be an engineer. You'll be forced into submission, as far as we know." she said. "As a woman of science, you can't possibly like the sound of that."

Georgia scowled, finally seeming to consider. "If I agree, if. I want Nick Fury's personal word that he will not make me into one of his... lap dogs, I don't know. When and if I help you all get back this thing, and if I join S.H.I.E.L.D for a short period of time to 'save the world' and all that, I want a guarantee that I can come back to my old life and never be bothered with this again unless maybe the world's going to end. Clear?" she snapped.

Maria smiled softly. "Yes. I am sure Director Fury will agree to that." she said quickly, willing to promise anything.

Georgia rolled her eyes. "_Was zum teufel._ I'll help you out. But I want you to know that I'm not doing this from the 'goodness of my heart'. I feel no loyalty towards S.H.I.E.L.D. The only thing I want to do is get this over and done with." she said, moving closer and staring Maria right in the eye. She paused for a moment. "Well, if we're going, let's go!"

Maria Hill nodded, and led the way out the door. Georgia scowled as she followed behind.

**Translations:**

_**Um Gottes willen**_** - For God's sake**

_**Verdammt - **_**Damn**

_**Durchaus nicht - **_**Absolutely not**

_**Was zum teufel - **_**What the hell**

**Yeeeep. New story. Centered around my second favorite movie of all time, The Avengers, and my loves Mark Ruffalo/Bruce Banner. Thanks for checking out my story, and for all of you Invisibility Has Its Perks fans out there, it's far from on hiatus or forgotten about. I'm working on it, this, and A Murder of Crows as much as possible.**

**So please, please, please review! I check story traffic every day, and I love when I see a lot of visitors, but I'm so sad when the review:vistitors ratio is low.:(**

**Love it? Hate it? Wanna punch me in the face? Let me know! I do wanna know!**

**Okay, love you all!**

**Jess**


	2. Chapter 2

Shorting Out

Agent Maria Hill drove wildly through the streets of southern Germany, into the city of Stuttgart behind the wheel of a S.H.I.E.L.D issued vehicle. Georgia was gripping the seat harshly in fear that they would soon crash.

"Loki's in Stuttgart." she explained as she honked at a passing car. "We have to meet up with Agent Romanoff, she's our ride back."

"Lovely. Is she as swell of a driver as you are?" Georgia demanded. "Why do we need to go so fast, anyway? As far as I can tell, I imagine that he's not leaving Earth anytime soon."

"Because we have a chance to corner Loki early, which could lead to an even earlier return for you." Maria explained feverishly as she concentrated on driving.

Georgia's eyes lit up. "Well then! Why didn't you mention that earlier?" she said, and held out her hands. "Let's see what I can do."

She focused on the way the vehicle moved, following the transfer of power to the wheels. With a little flickering from her hands, she had the car going even faster down the roads of Stuttgart.

They arrived at the destination in no time, and Georgia spotted a crowd of people kneeing before a man with a rather ridiculous helmet on.

With a bit more energy, Georgia had the car at a complete stop. "You mind if I throw the car at him?" she asked Maria, who shook her head.

At this point, they had gotten the full attention of Loki. He smirked at them.

"Wait, wait, wait. I can't be seen. Identity, remember?" Georgia said, stopping suddenly before getting out of the car. "Do you have a mask or something?"

Maria shook her head. Georgia glared at her. "I can't do this then. I'm not getting trapped in this world, agent." she hissed.

"Too afraid to come out and face me, then?" Loki called from his spot, standing over the crowd of frightened people. "See? In the end, you will always kneel."

An old man stood up in the crowd. "Not to men like you." he said bravely.

"There are no men like me." Loki answered smugly.

"There are always men like you." the man answered solemnly. Loki grinned sadistically. He seemed ready to make a show of the man, to show the others what he would do to those who would speak out.

"Look to your elder, people. Let him be an example." he said, lowering his glowing scepter.

"Ah, what the hell..." Georgia muttered, and she began conjuring energy to throw the car at Loki. It was levitating off the ground when a streak of red, white, and blue flew in and knocked Loki to the ground. The civilians scattered.

"What do I do? Do I throw the car? Who do I aim for?" Georgia demanded, her eyes beginning to glow an eerie electric blue.

"Just drop it." Agent Hill hissed, and Georgia complied.

"God, that was heavy." she murmured, flexing her arms. "I may have been using my mind, but no matter if it's lifting physically or mentally, it's still a fucking car."

"You know, last time I was in Germany and saw a man standing above everyone else, we ended up disagreeing." he said, and they commenced fighting.

"Oh yeah, just bash on Germany." Georgia mumbled. "Who is this guy?"

"Captain America. He fought in World War II, but ended up frozen for seventy years." Agent Hill explained, and jumped back as Captain America and Loki slammed into the vehicle.

"The soldier, the man out of time." Loki taunted.

"I'm not the one who's out of time." Captain America retorted as a Quinjet appeared.

"Loki, drop the weapon and stand down." a woman's voice said from the aircraft. Loki merely laughed and they continued fighting near to the vehicle.

"Got this." Georgia said, and wires from the S.H.I.E.L.D vehicle emerged from the transmission and wrapped themselves around the Norse god, shocking him violently as she manipulated the car to turn on. He ripped them off but he seemed shaken by the electricity for some reason, though it wasn't that much voltage

Loki's eyes fell on her behind the car as he continued to focus on the soldier. He blasted the man with his scepter, shouting, "Kneel!" It seemed to be said to both of them. He turned and eyed Georgia and Maria.

"Not today!" Captain America shouted back, flipping up and kicing the Norse god down hard.

Suddenly, a red, fiery streak appeared in the sky. Georgia looked up as music began blasting into the air.

A suit of red and gold armor suddenly landed in front of Loki and Captain America.

"Now who's this guy?" Georgia asked, bewildered.

"Iron Man." Maria answered, she seemed relieved that he appeared. He blasted Loki as he landed.

"Make a move, Reindeer Games." he said, weapons appearing from his suit. Loki was cornered. He couldn't run, because he was surrounded by Captain America, Iron Man, and a strange woman who made primitive mortal technology come alive at him. He transformed into his less intimidating form, and kneeled with his hands up.

"Good move." Iron Man said triumphantly.

"Awesome. Let's get this over with." Georgia said sourly as Maria led the way to the aircraft. Soon all five of them were boarded.

Maria sat up front, being the red headed woman's copilot, while Georgia sat in the back by Loki.

Iron Man and Captain America both gave her strange looks.

"Who's this?" Iron Man called up front, pointing at Georgia. "Is she supposed to be here?"

"No, I'm a normal old German civilian who just happened to be able to sneak her way onto a S.H.I.E.L.D aircraft undetected by any of the agents or 'super heroes' aboard." Georgia snapped sarcastically. "I'm Georgia McGuiness. Great to meet you too, fellow Avengers." Iron Man's eyebrows shot up at the name, but he quickly masked it.

"Oh no, I'm not an Avenger." Iron Man said back, looking pointedly at the pilot. "I was deemed volatile, self-centered, and I apparently don't play well with others"

"Interesting." Georgia drawled.

"But my name's Tony Stark." he said, with a grin. "Great to meet you Mrs. McGuiness."

"That's 'Miss.'." she snapped. "But thanks."

"And I'm Steve Rogers. It's wonderful to meet you, ma'am." Captain America said courteously. Georgia gave him a real smile.

"Well, seems like the 'man out of time' still has his manners. Nice to meet you, Steve." she said, being genuinely nice. She turned to Loki. "And I already know who you are, sir. You're the reason I'm caught up in this ordeal. So don't mind me if I'm not all too fond of you at first. I'm sure we'll be great friends in the long run."

Loki didn't answer, he only kept his head down.

After a few moments of silence, Rogers spoke up.

"I don't like it." he said finally, glancing at Loki and then Stark.

"What? Rock of Ages giving up so easily?" Stark replied, and Georgia had to hide her smile.

"I don't remember it ever being that easy. This guy packs a wallop." Steve responded, motioning with his head towards Loki.

Stark shrugged. "Still, you are pretty spry, for an older fellow." he said. "What's your thing? Pilates?"

Steve gave Stark a bewildered look. "What?"

"It's like calisthenics. You might have missed a couple things, you know, doing time as a Capsicle." Tony said, eyeing the Captain. It was silent between the two for a moment.

"Fury didn't tell me he was calling you in." Steve mumbled, looking away. Stark laughed without humor.

"Yeah, there's a lot of things Fury doesn't tell you." he said, shaking his head. "Like our new friend Georgia. Bet you didn't know she was gonna be joining the party either."

Steve glanced at Georgia, who was resting her elbows on her knees with her black curtain of hair masking most of her face. "No, I didn't." he answered.

"Join the club." Georgia mumbled sourly.

After Georgia's words, a crash of lightning sounded above them. Loki turned his eyes to the ceiling nervously.

"What's the matter, scared of a little lightning?" Steve asked Loki.

"I'm not overly fond of what follows..." Loki answered. With that, a huge thump sounded on the roof of the aircraft.

"That wasn't technical difficulties." Georgia confirmed, scanning the craft quickly.

Suddenly, a blonde man appeared, and in the blink of an eye, pulled Loki out of the Quinjet and jumped out of the aircraft towards the ground.

"Perfect." Georgia grumbled. "Who was that guy? Do you 'heroes' like appearing out of nowhere all the time?"

"That was Thor, the Thunder God of Norse mythology." Tony answered easily. "And yes. It has a certain charm to it."

"You give that answer like there's nothing wrong with it." Georgia mumbled regarding his answer about who Thor had been, giving him a strange look.

"Stark! We need a plan of attack!" Steve called as Tony got ready to dive into open space.

"I have a plan: attack!" Stark answered, and dove into the storm after Thor and Loki. Georgia looked to the Captain.

"I'd sit this one out, Cap." the red headed pilot advised.

"I don't see how I can." Steve answered, strapping a parachute onto his back.

"These guys come from legend, Captain. They're basically gods." she continued, looking back at him.

"There's only one God, ma'am. And I'm pretty sure he doesn't dress like that." Rogers said, before leaping out of the craft after Stark, Loki, and Thor.

Maria and the red headed pilot looked at Georgia, who gave them a bewildered look,

"Don't look at me. I'm not jumping next." she said, crossing her arms and legs as she stared at the place where Steve and Tony had both just disappeared.

...

**Second chapter. Whoooo! **

**Tell me what you thought, I'm working on the third and fourth chapters now...**

**Review, guys! I see you. I KNOW you read my story, all 150 of you. Drop me a little note and let me know how I'm doing.:) **

**Love you all, as always!**

**Jess**


	3. Chapter 3

_Shorting Out_

Eventually, Iron Man and Captain America reappeared on the Quinjet. As they entered, Georgia glanced up and found that they had Loki in tow with them, as well as the blonde 'Norse god', Thor.

Georgia noticed the damage in Tony's suit as he entered the area, sitting down across from her with a weary sigh.

Withou his knowledge, she quickly scanned his suit for more information on the damage. There was a large dent in his upper arm, where it seemed somebody had gripped the armor and crushed it. There were also dents on his helmet piece and several areas where the power source was beginning to short circuit, though it wasn't powered by electricity.

When she had finished scanning Stark's suit, she noticed that both Steve and Tony were staring at her strangely.

"What?" she demanded, her voice slightly self conscious.

"Your eyes were glowing blue, ma'am." Rogers said politely, but his voice was slightly wary.

Georgia adverted her eyes. "Yes. They tend to do that when I use my 'powers'." she explained. "I was scanning your suit, Stark. I was going to offer to repair it quickly for you. That crushed arm doesn't exactly look comfortable."

Tony glanced at the dent, then back at Georgia. "Uh, it's okay. I'll get it done when we get to S.H.I.E.L.D's helicarrier." he said, declining.

Georgia shrugged and crossed her arms again. "Fine. _Don't_ trust a technopath with more degrees in engineering than even you have." she snapped, feeling insulted at his refusal.

She then glanced at Thor. "Oh, where are my manners! God of Thunder, right?" she said to him.

Thor looked surprised. "Yes. I am the Asgardian, Thor, son of Odin." he responded. "And you are?"

"Georgia McGuiness, daughter of Chuck." she responded accordingly. Thor nodded in acknowledgement.

The rest of the trip was spent with Georgia silent, testing out her abilities by constantly scanning the aircraft. She was tempted to fix Stark's suit without his consent or even knowledge, just for practice, but held back. It was his suit, she may be a smartass, but she didn't disrespect a fellow intellectual's inventions.

For some reason, she felt more comfortable using her powers around these people, although she hardly knew them. With a science experiment, two Norse gods, a fellow genius, and two S.H.I.E.L.D spies in the same room, somehow she felt like less of a freak.

The Quinjet arrived on the helicarrier, which was a large, platform-like aircraft. Georgia followed Steve, Tony, Maria, and Natasha into the control room as other S.H.I.E.L.D agents came to escort Loki away.

Georgia suddenly was alone with Agent Hill, as everyone else had gone off to either change out of their suits or attend to other business. Maria led the engineer to Nick Fury, who seemed to be waiting for her.

"Mrs. McGuiness." he said as he shook her hand. "Thank you for cooperating."

"That's 'Miss.'." Georgia snapped, irritated that the mistake had been made twice in less than twenty-four hours. "Divorced, remember?"

"Of course. I apologize for the mistake." Fury said cordially. Georgia was suspicious of his manners towards her, she didn't trust him in the first place, and his strange behavior with trying to get her to help with gamma radiation paired with his host-like attitude wasn't sitting well with her.

"I don't know what game you're playing, Fury." she hissed under her breath as she glanced around at the abundance of agents. "But what I _do_ know is absolutely nothing about gamma radiation. Yet you track me down and ask me to help track low signatures of gamma radiation... that even S.H.I.E.L.D can't trace on its own. You of all people know what I specialize in."

"I think you'll find that your vast knowledge of technology will be quite helpful in finding the Tesseract." Fury responded, his face a mask of indifference. "We need all the help we can get at this point."

"Then why don't you just get Stark to help with it. He may not have as impressive of a resume as I, but he sure as hell wants to be here more. That guy _wants_ to be the center of attention. _I_ want my lab in Stuttgart back and a normal life that doesn't include espionage agencies and mythology come to life." Georgia said, her voice bad tempered.

"Stark will be helping with finding the Tesseract, along with Dr. Banner and yourself." the Director said. "And as soon as the Tesseract is located and freed, you are in the clear to go back to that life, Miss. McGuiness. Until then, we need you. Agent Hill, show Miss. McGuiness to Dr. Banner's lab." With that, Georgia was dismissed and Maria appeared to escort her to the lab in question.

Georgia walked along the hallways of the helicarrier with her teeth grit, though her face betrayed no emotion except for indifference. Inside, she was in a rage. First, Fury mentions her ex husband, and then he dismisses her like a child? Unacceptable.

They reached the lab, and Georgia stepped inside. She felt slightly more at ease with the familiar equipment around. A tall man with greying hair looked up as she entered. His eyes were as dark as hers, but there were premature aging lines surrounding them as well as dark circles. The man looked beat, and Georgia, though irritated, felt a pang of pity for him. As their eyes met from across the room, she felt more of her anger ebb away for some reason.

"Hello, I'm Georgia McGuiness." she said confidently, striding forward with her hand extended. He took it carefully, and shook her hand. "I suspect that you're Doctor Bruce Banner, the one I've been hearing so much about?"

He eyed her a bit before speaking. "Yes, that's me. I hope it's been all... good things you've been hearing." he said carefully.

"Nothing but. For example, I hear you're an expert on gamma radiation and can find this Tesseract." she said, returning her hand to her side. "I find those to be _remarkably_ good things, considering I know absolutely nothing about any type of radiation. Technical engineers like myself don't often work with radiation, which makes me wonder what exactly I am doing here."

Banner half smiled. "Well the knowledge of an engineer will probably be useful in the long run." he said, glancing sideways at her.

"Yeah, everyone's been telling me that lately, but I'm having a tough time believing them." she drawled, and smiled slightly.

The two glanced up when a band of agents came down the hallways. They were escorting Loki, who seemed completely at ease. He turned his head as they passed, and seemed to be smirking right at Dr. Banner. Georgia gave him her iciest look before straightening up and walking to one of the computers on the other side of the lab.

"So bring me up to speed, Doctor, so I can try and do something to help besides sit here and look pretty." she said, her voice had a sarcastic edge to it. "Where are we in finding the cube?"

"Basically no where. We called all the labs that S.H.I.E.L.D is in contact with and had them put their spectrometers on the roof, calibrating them for gamma rays. I'm roughing out a tracking algorithm based on cluster recognition, just to rule out a few places." he explained easily.

"Finally, an 'Avenger' who knows what the hell he's talking about." Georgia replied, grinning. "The only thing I can think of for me to do is find a way to get in contact with one of those spectrometers and scan myself, like an add-on."

Bruce looked up, confused. "How would that be possible? For you to scan with a spectrometer?" he asked.

Georgia stared at him for a minute, before realizing that he had no idea that she was a technopath. "Oh, please excuse my rudeness. I'm a technopath." she said, and displayed her power by letting her blue 'electricity' run over her fingers on an outstretched hand. "Sorry, it's not exactly something I use in initial introductions. But since we're _all_ freaks here, I suppose I should start using it."

Bruce nodded. "Fair enough. I suppose you could try and use any of S.H.I.E.L.D's wireless communicators to connect with the nearest spectrometer."

"I don't know if I can. I can't connect with technology that's far away for very long unless I have a steady connection to it. In other words, not a wireless connection. My mind doesn't work like Wi-Fi for long because there's always interferance. If the ship is over land, however, I might be able to use even a cell phone to connect to the landlines on the ground and follow the electrical currents until I reach one of the labs and thus a spectrometer." Georgia said, leaning on the counter.

Bruce nodded. "You may have something there." he said, and he seemed slightly impressed with her.

"Of course I do. I don't have two masters' degrees and nine bachelor degrees for being bad with technology." she said. "But I'll need a cell phone. I was kind of whisked away before I was able to bring... well, anything."

Bruce shrugged. "I don't have mine, either." he said thoughtfully. "But I think I'll venture a guess and say Tony Stark has his on him."

Georgia smiled. "Perfect. I'll go find him so we can get this show on the road." she said, heading towards the door.

"Wait. Take that, Fury dropped it off for you before you arrived." Bruce said, motioning to the small earpiece on the table next to him. Before he had time to reach it, Georgia had it flying across the room to her hand.

"A communication device." she said, putting it into her ear and turning it on.

"Just in case." Bruce said, shrugging. Georgia shrugged as well as she exited the lab to find Stark.

...

**So I saw the Avengers for the third time yesterday, and it seemed I had a few plot things mixed up. So I rewrote the chapter. Yaaay. **

**I am writing the fourth chapter as we speak, it wont be much longer I promise!**

**Thank you for all of your wonderful reviews! They make me happy!**

**Okay, back to work!**

**Jess**


	4. Chapter 4

_Circuit Breaker_

"And that man is playing Galaga! He thought we wouldn't notice but we did." Georgia heard a voice from down the hall. It was distorted, but she had a good idea of who it was.

As Georgia entered the room, she found Tony Stark immediately. He was talking to Thor, Natasha, Agent Hill, and Steve. They were all seated around a white table, and they seemed to be kind of distressed about something.

"How does Fury do this?" Stark asked, looking at the monitors in front of him while covering one eye.

"He turns." Agent Hill said dryly.

"Sounds exhausting." Tony retorted, and he slipped his hand under the structure as he walked away. Georgia scanned the area quickly, and found a small decrypting device. She smirked lightly, and said nothing.

When she could see normally again, everyone was looking at her with strange looks. Her eyes, of course, had turned blue when she scanned.

"Okay, is everyone going to stare at me every time that happens? Yes, my eyes turn blue when I connect to technology or use my ability in any way. There's two Norse gods, a super soldier, and a man who runs around in a fully functional mechanical suit of armor also on this aircraft that has the ability to turn basically invisible and is run by an espionage agency made up of spies. I am not the most interesting person here, people!" she said, pursing her lips.

With that, everyone looked down and away.

Captain America cleared his throat. "Thor, what's his play?" he asked.

He has an army, called the Chitauri. They're not of Asgard or any world known. He means to lead them against your people. They will win him the Earth. In return, I suspect, for the Tesseract." Thor answered, crossing his arms.

"An army. From outer space." Steve said, shaking his head.

Bruce suddenly appeared beside Georgia. "So he's building another portal. That's what he needs Erik Selvig for." he said.

Thor looked up. "Selvig?" he asked.

"He's an astrophysicist." Bruce answered.

"He's a friend." the Norse god mumbled, looking down.

"Loki has them under some kind of spell. Along with one of ours." Natasha said, her voice turning melancholy when speaking of the S.H.I.E.L.D agent. Georgia glanced at her for a minute, before dismissing her tone of voice.

"I wanna know why Loki let us take him. He's not leading an army from here." Rogers said, glancing around.

" I don't think we should be focusing on Loki. That guy's brain is a bag full of cats. You can smell crazy on him." Bruce said, moving forward to the table. Georgia followed and sat at one of the empty chairs, she smiled slightly at his comment.

"Have a care how you speak! Loki is beyond reason, but he is of Asgard and he is my brother!" Thor said, his voice slightly heated at the insults to his brother.

"He killed eighty people in two days." Romanoff commented coldly.

Thor glanced around. "He's adopted." he admitted.

"Does Loki need any particular kind of power source?" Steve asked.

"He's got to heat the cube to a hundred and twenty million Kelvin just to break through the Coulomb barrier." Banner responded.

"Unless, Selvig has figured out how to stabilize the quantum tunneling effect." Stark cut in, moving to behind Georgia. She glanced up at him.

"Well, if he could do that he could achieve Heavy Ion Fusion at any reactor on the planet." Bruce answered, seeming amused.

Tony stared at Banner for a minute. "Finally, someone who speaks English." he said happily.

Steve glanced around, confused. "Is that what just happened?" he asked.

"It's good to meet you, Dr. Banner. You're work on anti-electron collisions is unparalleled. And I'm a huge fan of the way you lose control and turn into an enormous green rage monster." Tony said, shaking the man's hand.

It was Georgia's turn to be confused. Green rage monster? She didn't understand. But then, she never did follow superhero claims.

Bruce smiled softly. "Thanks." he answered ironically.

Nick Fury entered the room. "Dr. Banner is only here to track the cube. The same for Miss. McGuiness. I was hoping you might join them." he said, approaching the table.

"Let's start with that stick of his. It may be magical, but it works an awful lot like a Hydra weapon." Steve said, continuing with the discussion of Loki.

Nick Fury looked down at Steve. "I don't know about that, but it is powered by the cube. And I'd like to know how Loki used it to turn two of the sharpest men I know into his personal flying monkeys." he said sourly.

"Monkeys? I do not understand" Thor said after a pause.

"I do!" Rogers said proudly from his seat. Stark rolled his eyes. "I understood that reference."

Georgia grinned at Steve's behavior. It wasn't hard to believe that he had been frozen for seventy years.

Then, she remembered why she had came here. "Oh, by the way, Stark. I need to borrow your cell phone." Georgia said in the pause of conversation.

He stared at her. "My cell phone? Why, want to look through my texts? Maybe add your number?" he asked, grinning. Georgia rolled her eyes.

"No, Stark. I need it to connect to a spectrometer from up here." she said shortly. "Since I know shit about gamma radiation, it's the best I can do to help. I'm going to scan for the rays myself."

He shrugged. "Sure, fine, cool. Let's just get back to the lab, we can work from there." he said, and Georgia followed Banner and Stark back to their place of work.

When they arrived, Georgia sat on a stool by one of the computers.

"Okay, send a text message to somebody that won't answer right away. If you receive a text message when I'm still connecting with the sent one, the interference will bring me back here and we'll have to start all over." she instructed as he brought out his phone.

He typed something, and got ready to send it. "Just press send when you're prepared." he said, setting it down on the countertop.

"Right-o." Georgia answered. "And do me a favor and at least try not to distract me?"

Tony pretended not to hear her, and she scowled at the back of his head.

She was getting ready to connect with the message, when she heard a small electrical zap from the other side of the room.

She whipped her head around, and glared at Tony. "Did you just shock him?" she demanded. "Real professional."

Tony shrugged. "You really have got a lid on it, haven't you? What's your secret? Mellow jazz? Bongo drums? Huge bag of weed?" he asked Banner. Georgia rolled her eyes again, and scanned the room, preparing herself.

She hadn't noticed before, but Loki's scepter was on the other side of the room. She cocked her head and scanned it further.

Georgia was surprised when she realized that she could see the gamma radiation emittance flowing off of it. She smiled to herself as she turned back to the cell phone. But As she turned, she noticed the same gamma emittance coming of of Bruce.

"You know, it's really creepy when your eyes are like that." Tony said.

"I'd think you'd be more creeped out by the fact that Dr. Banner turns into... what did you call it? An 'enormous green rage monster'? Yet you are obviously trying to get him to do so." she snapped, turning her eyes on him. As she did, she noticed the arc reactor plate on his chest.

"Why do you have an arc reactor on your chest, Stark?" she asked, her voice losing it's hostility and taking on a more curious tone.

Tony glanced down. "Oh, an accident from way back. I have shrapnel in my chest, and this reactor in my chest is the only thing stopping it from reaching my heart and ultimately killing me." he explained.

"Interesting. So if you pissed me off enough, I could easily shut down your arc reactor. I looking at the wiring right now." she said, smiling.

Stark shrugged. "Sure, if you wanna look at it that way. I prefer to view it as if my arc reactor ever malfunctions, you'd be able to start it right back up."

Georgia smiled wryly. "I thought you didn't want me repairing your inventions, Tony." she said, looking back down at the cell phone, thinking of the ride back on the Quinjet.

He matched her smile. "Not in easy-fix situations like that. But in dire emergencies, I'd like to think of you as my personal, instant AutoZone." he said, grinning wider.

Georgia rolled her eyes. "Great, now I'm a mechanic." she mumbled. "Now if you'll excuse me, Stark. I have tracking to do."

With that, she brought her powers up to speed, and pressed 'Send' on Tony's phone. She instantly connected to the digital message, and followed it down to the power lines.

She followed the electrical currents on the lines, letting go of the text message and heading towards the place where the most electrical currents were heading.

For a while, she coasted. She was partially aware of what was happening in the lab, but her focus was mostly on her scanning job. Captain America had entered, and he seemed to be agitated with Stark.

She was almost to where she believed the lab was located, when she felt someone next to her back in the lab. It was strange, it was like she was two people. It was hard to concentrate on the lab when she was following the power lines. It was hazy, like a dream had in semi-consciousness.

Georgia realized that Steve was about to shake her, possibly, he was worried about her in this state of mind. She began to panic. No one could touch her when she was in that state.

She instantly pulled back, out of the power lines and all the way back to the lab.

"Don't!" she roared, falling out of the stool with the force of her return. She smacked her head as she fell. Her eyes glanced back and forth wildly.

"Nobody. Can touch me. When I'm using. My power. Extensively." she said, her words were said in pauses because of her heaving breaths.

Steve, Tony, and Bruce all stared at her. Steve extended his hand to help her up. She took it, her whole body was shaking as she stood.

"I'm sorry, Miss. McGuiness." he said earnestly. She nodded as she held her head and sat down.

"It's alright, Steve." she said, smiling slightly. "First of all, call me Georgia. All of you. There's too much of this 'Miss. McGuiness' shit here."

"Second of all, when I'm in that state for an extended period of time... which is like more than five minutes... I... Let me put it this way. You know the blue electricity that I emit?" She let a bit of it crackle around her fingers. "That builds up inside of me, like I'm a generator. It gets stronger, and it flies all around my body. It ebbs away when I come back to my right mind, and it doesn't hurt me because my body creates it. But you..."

She put a hand on his arm and let a tiny bit crackle out. Steve pulled back in pain, it had shocked him.

"It hurts everyone else. And that hurt a good amount, although it was just a little, right?" Steve nodded. "Well think of how much it would hurt if you touched me when I'm working with it? A lot. It stays in my body for the most part, but as soon as someone or something else touches me... it all rushes into their body. I don't think that even Captain America could have survived that." she explained, and then fell silent.

All three of them stared at her, she kept her eyes aimed at her black heels. Her cheeks burned red in embarrassment and shame. She could have killed the man because she forgot to warn them.

"Well, it's done now. Nobody got hurt, right?" Tony said from the other side of the room. He walked over to stand next to Steve. Georgia turned her dark eyes up to look at him. "Don't worry about it. We all have our little... quirks. I happen to have shrapnel lodged in my chest and Banner has his anger management issues involving a raging green transformation. You just happen to be a walking electrical outlet. No biggie. We're all just human, after all."

Georgia couldn't help but smile a bit at the irony of Stark's statement. "Sure. All just human." she repeated, sitting back down on her stool.

"Blueberry?" Stark asked, holding out a bag of berries to the woman. She stuck her hand in the bag, popping a few of them in her mouth.

"I should probably try that again." she said through the berries. "You able to control your wandering hands, soldier?"

Steve smiled. "Yes, ma'am." he said. "I have something to get to, anyway." With that, he walked out of the room, his face set and serious.

"Where's he off to?" Georgia asked, handing the phone back to Stark so she could follow yet another text message down to the surface.

"Probably to prove me right. As I always am." Stark answered, typing something. Georgia gave him a questioning look as she took back the phone.

"I have a decryption device going through and opening all of S.H.I.E.L.D's private files to me. In a few hours, I'll know absolutely everything about S.H.I.E.L.D's inner workings." he explained.

"You know I can just... do that, right?" Georgia said, crossing her legs. "And it would be done within minutes."

Tony shrugged. "I like doing things myself." he replied. "If you want to, feel free."

"I have a few more important things to do, actually. Like finding this damned thing." Georgia responded. "But as soon as you have the information, I'll be glad to hear everything you have to offer. You're right not to trust Fury. My presence should make you wary. A technopath brought to an espionage agency for unsteady reasonings? Doubtful that their intentions for me are noble."

With that, Georgia turned back to the cell phone and began the process of finding the spectrometer and ultimately, the Tesseract.

...

**Ohhhh. A little bit of emotion from Georgia. Interesting. **

**Hope you enjoyed this chapter, I surely did. Happy Fourth of July to all my American readers!:)**

**Don't forget to review! Love you all! Working on the next chapter nowwwww**

**Jess**


	5. Chapter 5

_Circuit Breaker_

_'Wit beyond measure is man's greatest treasure.' - Harry Potter series_

...

Georgia returned from her third consecutive escapade down to the spectrometers below... again with no results.

"I can't find anything." she said, shaking her head. "And doing that for a long time tires me out. I'll try again later."

Tony and Bruce both nodded. "Of course, Georgia." Bruce said absently, staring at the computer.

Suddenly, a virus detection showed up on the screen. Tony bent over next to Banner to take a look at it.

"Georgia, can you come here for a second?" Tony asked, trying to find the source of the virus. She stood up with a tired sigh and walked over to stand between the two men.

"Can you take a look at the system?" he said. "Maybe find the source and eliminate it?"

Georgia scanned the screen with her eyes before sighing again. "First I'm AutoZone and now I'm AntiVirus? I'm glad you appreciate me." she mumbled before scanning the computer with her eyes glowing. "Be careful, stand back a bit so I don't, y'know, electrocute you." The two men took a step back, but continued to watch as the files on the computer were sifted through at an unnatural speed.

She looked through the files on the system, and was ultimately able to find the virus. "I think I can wipe it out, hang on." she let a little more power into the machinery as she touched the SpyWare with her mind.

But as soon as she came in contact with it, a burst of blinding pain shot through her head. Georgia pulled her mind out as fast as she could, and the force of the return with the volume of the pain pushed her back.

Bruce was fast, however, and easily caught the younger woman in his arms before she hit her head on the side of the table behind her. Georgia groaned in agony as she held her forehead.

"That wasn't a normal virus." she panted, standing up with both Bruce's and Tony's help. "God damn it, that hurt."

"Are you okay?" Bruce asked, concerned. "Does your head still hurt from when you hit your head before?"

"No, no." Georgia said, though her hand touched the back of her skull gingerly. "Just a bump. I think I'll be fine... besides this headache that's forming."

Bruce's hand came up and felt the back of her skull as well. She winced as his hand came in contact. "You're right. A bump is appearing already, though I don't see any blood. Watch for any vision issues, as you may have a concussion." he advised, making sure she was steady before letting her stand on her own.

"Thanks, Bruce." she said, sitting on the lab stool behind Tony. "I think I'll just watch now. I doubt I'll be able to do much with a splitting headache and increasing amounts of fatigue."

'Loki means to unleash the Hulk. Keep Banner in the lab, I'm on my way. Send Thor as well.' Georgia heard in her ear. It was Natasha Romanoff speaking. She turned to look at Bruce, who had also heard the announcement.

"The Hulk?" she asked, confused.

"The Other Guy..." Banner explained. When Georgia still showed no signs of recognition, he continued. "The 'enormous green rage monster?'"

Finally, she understood. "Wait. The Hulk. And the raging green whatever... That's you? It's all the same?"

"Yes." Bruce answered, looking away.

"You didn't know that all this time?" Tony demanded.

Georgia scowled. "I didn't exactly keep up with this shit before you all sucked me into it. For example, I didn't know who the fuck you were, Stark." she snapped.

He looked surprised. "What? You didn't know who I was? I didn't know there was a soul alive who hadn't heard of Stark Industries."

"I knew about Stark Industries, genius. I just knew nothing of you. Or Iron Man for that matter. The only one I knew about was Cap, because he's in high school history books. And S.H.I.E.L.D, obviously, because they stalked me for years. I lived in Germany, trying to stay away from heroics my whole life. Before that, I lived in Georgia and then went to college in Connecticut at Yale. I've never even been to New York." she explained, glaring at him. "Some of us like the simpler life."

After she spoke, another crippling wave of pain went through her head. Georgia doubled over, groaning as she held her head in her hands. She vaguely felt somebody's hands massaging her back soothingly, but was altogether too absorbed in her pain to acknowledge it. The sound of rushing water filled her ears as she breathed heavily, the pain not subsiding at all. She tried to open her eyes, but it proved impossible as soon as any light entered. She groaned again as she closed them once more.

Loud, yet muffled voices filled her head. It seemed the room was fighting about something. Suddenly, the pain disappeared completely. She opened her eyes, and found a strange weapon on the table across from her as she looked around.

"What is that?" she demanded through the chaos, looking straight at Fury. The room slowly realized that Georgia was present, and quieted at her demand.

"S.H.I.E.L.D's 'Phase Two' plan is to use the Tesseract to make nuclear weapons." Tony explained. "And they were planning on using you to construct and mass produce them."

Georgia's face contorted with rage. "I should have known." she spat, standing up. Her head rushed with blood, and she felt dizzy for a moment. But she didn't care.

"Of course. It all makes _so_ much sense. You ask me for years to come in and help S.H.I.E.L.D with creating new technology. I refused. And last year, probably right after the ordeal in New Mexico occurs, you got scared. And once you had the Tesseract, you came to me asking me to help you all 'study' it. I called your bullshit right then and there and refused once more. And then, once you have a seemingly legitimate excuse to have me come into S.H.I.E.L.D and help with a crisis, you try and fulfill your first goal; to use me in mass production of weapons!" she ranted furiously, approaching Fury menacingly.

"You're right, Miss. McGuiness. We did start Phase Two after we realized that there were other, more advanced worlds." he admitted. "And we were going to ask you to assemble the weapons."

"I would have refused!" she bellowed harshly. "I would have said _no_. And S.H.I.E.L.D can't handle the word 'no', can you? Like _no_, we _aren't_ the most advanced civilization in existence. What would you have done, huh? You would have found a way to make me. Probably offer me some ridiculous hope that I'd have a normal life. Once I'd manufactured everything. But of course, since I caved and finally decided to help the world more directly with my abilities, I can never have that again. I'm doomed to either be a proclaimed 'hero' and swear fealty to you, or be labeled an enemy and hunted down by S.H.I.E.L.D agents because I. Said. No."

The room was silent. Georgia stood in the middle of the room, facing Fury. Her breathing was labored.

"Agent Romanoff, would you escort Dr. Banner back to his... " Fury finally said quietly, dismissing Georgia for the moment. The rage had drained from her face, and just the look of hopelessness replaced it. She returned to her seat and stared at the floor in despair.

"Back where? You rented my room." Banner interrupted him, standing beside where Georgia sat.

"The cell was built..." Fury started, but was once again interrupted by Bruce.

"In case you needed to kill me, but you can't! I know! I tried!... I got low. I didn't see an end, so I put a bullet in my mouth... and the other guy spit it out! So I moved on. I focused on helping other people. I was good, until you dragged me back into this freak show and put everyone here at risk!" he spat. "Just like you did for Georgia. You just have to drag everyone in because you can never handle your own problems." Georgia stared up at him, her eyes empty.

"You wanna know my secret, Agent Romanoff? You wanna know how I stay calm?" he asked, his voice low. Georgia watched Banner's hand as he reached back and gripped Loki's spear in his hand.

"Doctor Banner... put down the scepter." Steve's calm voice said, though Georgia couldn't look at him. Bruce looked down, and seemed shocked that he was holding the scepter. He placed it back on it holster slowly.

Suddenly, the computer beeped, signaling that they had located the Tesseract. Georgia supposed that she should feel relieved. Soon, her job would be over. And she could go home. But the realization of her true purpose here had drained her. She wondered what S.H.I.E.L.D would do when she refused to mass produce weaponry.

"Got it." Tony said, moving to the computer.

"Sorry, kids. You don't get to see my little party trick after all." Dr. Banner said quietly, moving to the computer as well. Georgia imagined that she should probably join them, but couldn't find the strength to move. Literally, the virus incident had left her completely drained of energy.

Though she decided to make sure that the virus attack hadn't hurt her abilities, she allowed herself to scan the ship quickly. She noticed a small device planted not too far from where the lab was located. She expanded her scan area, and realized... that the device was a bomb.

"There's a bomb!" she screamed suddenly, jumping out of her seat. Everyone only had time to look up before the explosion took out the whole lab area. Agent Romanoff and Banner were blown forwards, into a hole in the flooring. Georgia was blown sideways, slamming into the far wall.

"It took out an engine." she groaned to Steve, as he helped her stand up.

"Put on the suit!" Steve said to Tony.

"Yup!" he answered, and ran out of the ravaged lab.

"I'll help you." Georgia said confidently, though her head still ached terribly. "But I'll need something to wear other than this. I'll go find an extra S.H.I.E.L.D uniform, meet Stark at the engine. I'll be there soon."

Steve nodded, and ran out. Georgia stood, and walked to the edge of the hole. Romanoff was speaking quietly to Dr. Banner, who was convulsing. She was horrified as she realized that his face was turning... green.

"I swear on my life..." she heard Natasha say, before Bruce turned to her.

"Your life?" he yelled in a distorted voice, and disappeared. Natasha suddenly looked up, and motioned desperately for Georgia to leave. She bit her lip in indecision, before nodding and backing away slowly. She hurried down the halls of the helicarrier. She reached the bridge, and approached Maria Hill.

"Maria, I know this is an extremely trivial request right now, but I need a S.H.I.E.L.D uniform pronto." she said quickly to the lieutenant.

"Up the stairs, first door." Agent Hill said shortly, not even looking away from her computer. Georgia said nothing else and ran to the specified location.

It was literally a room full of the standard black spandex suits, boots, gloves, and handguns. Anything an officer might need if he or she damaged their uniform. With no concern for modesty, she quickly stripped out of her heels, black skirt, and white button-down dress shirt, and slipped into the S.H.I.E.L.D uniform. She strapped two handguns to her hips for good measure. Anyone who would blow up a S.H.I.E.L.D engine would be armed to the teeth.

Looking in the shining metal door as she prepared to exit, Georgia noticed the S.H.I.E.L.D symbol on her chest. She glared at her reflection, and lifted at hand to burn out the symbol with her electricity.

Satisfied that she wasn't branded with that symbol anymore, she marched out of the room and back into the bridge.

"We lose one more engine and we're down." she heard Maria say as she passed.

"Fury, I'm heading out to fix the engine." she said into her intercom. She didn't wait for a response as she ran down the hallways, finally finding the gap in the ship.

"I'm here." she called, and Steve stuck his head out from his position.

_'I'm ridding it of the debris, and I'm going to try and get it up to speed.' _Stark said through the intercom.

"The polarity..." she started, but Stark was way ahead of her.

_'Already covered. I have Rogers watching the lever. Once I get it up to speed, it will reverse the polarity long enough so that I can slip out.'_ Stark explained, and Georgia nodded, though no one was able to see it.

"If I could fly I'd come out there and fix it without you having to put yourself in danger." Georgia said, holding onto the side of the ship nervously. Suddenly, the sound of gunfire erupted into the air.

"What is that?" she said into her intercom. When no answer came, she decided to find out herself. Before she could created a way for her to reach Steve and the gunfire, however, the metallic sound of a footstep behind her sounded.

She scanned, and realized that a man was approaching her position. He was armed, and the slow rhythm of his footsteps suggested that he knew she was there, and was attempting to sneak up on her.

Georgia panicked; she had never even thrown a punch in her life. Or shot a gun for that matter. All she could do was use her abilities to protect herself, but she'd never really used them as a weapon before, either.

She drew one of her handguns uncertainly, cocking it as she'd seen it happen in movies. She kept her eyes on the man, hoping and praying that the blinding pain didn't resurface at this moment.

She suddenly had an idea. Georgia felt for some wiring in the walls of the helicarrier. Treading lightly with her powers, she manipulated them to grab the man by his ankles, hoisting him into the air in front of her.

He gave a shout of surprise, but it quickly turned to pain as he was shot by a bullet through the leg.

"Damn it!" Georgia shouted, she had been aiming for his head. She shot again, completely missing this time.

"Okay, fine." she grumbled, and pointed her free hand at the man. She allowed electricity to flow into his body, killing him.

"Hm. Didn't think that'd work." she said, letting the body fall to the ground. "I'm a regular Thor, aren't I?"

_'McGuiness! A virus has attacked our systems, shutting down another engine. We need you in here now." _Fury's voice said through the intercom.

'I'm not AntiVirus.' Georgia spat into the earpiece, completely terrified of working with another of these viruses. She glanced back at where both Steve and Stark had disappeared. She jolted as she realized that the ship was beginning to fall. She jumped over the body, and into the helicarrier.

On unsteady legs, she ran down the halls to the bridge, completely terrified and unsure of what she would find there.

...

**Okaaaay! Coooool! New chapter! **

**So. That's cool, Fury. Try and use Georgia for mass production. Bah. Too bad she's not interested. **

**There's actually only a few more chapters following the Avengers storyline. After that, I'll be able to write freely, not having to worry about plot details and stuff. And the chapters will get a lot more exciting. Since... you know. You won't know what's gonna happen...**

**Okay, so thanks for all the wonderful reviews! They really make my day! Keep them coming!**

**Love you all! **

**Jess**


	6. Chapter 6

_Circuit Breaker_

'Tony, get that damn turbine up to speed!' Georgia said urgently into the earpiece, having lost her balance due to the descend of the helicarrier.

_'I'm working on it!'_ he snapped back. Georgia regained her footing, and continued working her way back to the bridge.

"I'm here." she said, running into the room. Fury looked at her from his position, gun in hand.

"What's going on?" she demanded, pulling out her own gun and glancing around warily.

"We've been attacked." Fury started to explain.

"I've noticed." Georgia said dryly, and walking over to the computer that had an arrow sticking out of it's USB port.

"What the hell?" she murmured, pulling it out.

"One of our compromised agents." Fury explained.

"Gotcha." Georgia answered. "Stark's working on getting the damaged engine back online. He should be done within minutes, do you really think I need to do this?"

"A few minutes may be a few minutes too late." Fury said shortly. Georgia sighed, and allowed herself to scan the computer software.

"The controls on the engine are completely fried. There's really no way I can bring it back online unless I shut down the whole system completely. And doing that would jeopardize Stark's work with the damaged turbine, and shut down all the other, working engines."

Her eyes returned back to normal. "We're just gonna have to trust Stark with this one." she said.

After speaking, the blinding pain from the last virus encounter resurfaced, this time more powerful than the last. She cried out in pain, and fell to the ground, unconscious.

...

Georgia woke up in one of the infirmary rooms. Her head still ached, but was otherwise unharmed.

As her eyes fluttered open, she realized that someone was sitting next to her.

"Oh... hi Steve." she said quietly, sitting up slightly.

He smiled at her as she came to. "How are you feeling?" he asked, his voice concerned.

Georgia shrugged. "Never better. Although... I was hoping to wake up and this whole ordeal just be a dream... but of course, there you are. Here I am." she smiled slightly.

Steve smiled back. "Well, I'm glad you're alright Miss. Mc... Georgia." he said.

"Thanks, Cap." she sighed, rolling her tight shoulders. "So. What happened after I passed out?"

"Well, Stark got the engine working. And Agent Clint Barton, the agent that Loki had put under his mind control, is back to his real self..." he started, then hesitated. "But... Loki's free. Banner and Thor both fell out of the helicarrier... and... Phil Coulson is dead."

Although Georgia had no idea who this 'Phil Coulson' was, she saw that it meant something to Steve. "I'm sorry to hear that.." she murmured, putting a small hand on his arm in comfort. "So... what's happening from here?"

"We're going to fight him. And his army." Steve stated. "We're heading out soon... I just wanted to let you know where we're going."

Georgia stared at him incredulously. "I better be included in this 'we're', Captain." she said, sitting up fully and crossing her arms. "I'm not staying on this damned thing with Fury and the rest of these people."

"But.. you've been hurt." Steve stammered, looking down. Georgia rolled her eyes.

"And I suppose this Barton guy was hurt as well, yeah? Is he included in this?" she demanded.

"Well, yes. But he's a special agent. He's been trained for combat..." Steve said. "And you said that you don't want to be a hero before... so..."

"I don't wanna be a hero, you're right. But I'm pretty much doomed to be, since I'm part of this now. I've killed a man, Steve. I killed a man to keep other people safe. Though it's hardly noble to take a person's life, and I do regret it... I pretty much crossed the point of no return in this 'hero' shit."

She took a pause before continuing. "If I'm doing this, I might as well not half-ass it, right?" she demanded, eyeing Steve.

He finally smiled. "If you really want to do this..." he started.

"No, I don't want to do this. The point is, I have to." she said, and then cleared her throat. "Y'know. Because I don't want to be on this helicarrier anymore. Fury's just gonna piss me off and I really don't want to be around him after finding out that I'm a living assembly line for weapons of mass destruction."

Steve grinned. "Fair enough. Do you have a suit?" he asked, standing up and helping her out of her hospital bed.

Georgia raised her eyebrows. "Uh, no." she said. "Not a hero, remember?"

"Well get one. And suit up." he said, turning to leave. "Meet me at the bridge in ten minutes, we're taking a Quinjet to Manhattan."

"Wonderful. My first trip to New York, and I'm going to spend it fighting aliens." she said, walking out behind him. She hurried down the halls back to the bridge and to the same room that she had gotten her first S.H.I.E.L.D uniform. She changed into a new one, burning off the S.H.I.E.L.D symbol just like before. She left off the gloves, to keep her hands free to use her electricity.

"Okay... now I need some type of mask..." she said to herself, glancing around. Her eyes fell on the metal of the walls. She cocked her head and scanned it. The metal could conduct an electrical current, so she could manipulate it.

Using her ability, she carved a shining, silver mask from the metal. It was a complete circle, designed to go under her hair and up over her face. Georgia tightened it enough that it wouldn't fall off very easily in combat.

Combat. The thought frightened Georgia. She knew she had to help her teammates in any way she could.

She froze as she thought the word 'teammates'. It was so unlike her, to want to be a part of something. She frowned, and pushed the though from her mind.

Feeling that she was underdressed and vulnerable, she pulled a large piece of metal from the wall, crafting it around her torso and back as a form of armor. She kept her arms free, except for bands around her wrists... just for good measure. When she was satisfied with her 'suit', she exited the room, strapping two new handguns to her hips and taking as much ammunition as she could carry on her person comfortably.

"Ready?" Steve asked, smiling at her choice of attire.

"Nope." Georgia answered, walking with him to meet the others. "But let's get this over with."

They met up with Natasha and the man she assumed was this Barton guy.

"Where's Stark?" she asked.

"Already in Manhattan. He figured out that Loki was using his building to open the portal and unleash the Chitauri." Steve explained.

"Okay. I'll pretend that that makes any sense." Georgia mumbled.

"You are not authorized to be here!" a young S.H.I.E.L.D agent said, trying to act important. Georgia rolled her eyes and glared at him.

"Son... just don't." Steve said, pushing past him to reach the aircraft. The foursome boarded, with Natasha flying the craft.

Georgia leaned back in her seat, acting like she was completely at ease. When in reality, she was freaking out. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea... to go and fight with the others. She knew nothing about combat, and she wasn't a hero. She was just an engineer that was getting way over her head. She became more and more anxious as they landed in the city.

It seemed all quiet... Georgia stuck by Steve as they exited the aircraft. She scanned the area for good measure.

"Well, Stark was right. There's a machine right on top of his building." Georgia said, her eyes returning to normal. As soon as she said that, a blue beam of light shot up into the air, creating what seemed to be a hole in the very sky. A portal.

Immediately, specks began to pour from the portal, including a large, serpent-like monster. Georgia stared at them in horror.

"Okay. Well..." Georgia started, at a loss for words. The aliens began moving towards their position, the three Avengers around her pulled out their weapons. She grabbed a gun from her hip uncertainly, cocking it.

"Let's go!" Cap shouted, and they moved into action. The first three were taken out by Steve's shield, and several more fell from Clint's arrows and Natasha's bullets.

Georgia froze as she heard one land behind her. She whipped around, pointing the gun at it uncertainly. She shot, hitting it in the shoulder. It cried out, it's voice a mix of anger and pain. Georgia froze again, completely in shock, as the beast shot a projectile of blue energy at her. She dodged clumsily. She shot again, barely grazing it's face.

"Okay, you know what? I don't like guns." she said angrily, and instead sent bolts of her blue electricity towards the fiend, hitting it square in the chest. It was flung backwards, dead.

"One down... ten million to go." she whispered, glancing up at the portal, which was spewing more of these things. Five more appeared in front of her, growling menacingly as they approached. Georgia glanced around, and laid her eyes on a PT Cruiser parked on the side of the road.

"I've never liked PT Cruisers..." she said to herself, her eyes beginning to glow. As she was distracted, the things had inched closer to her, and a few more had appeared. In an instant, Georgia flung the vehicle towards them, crushing three under the weight of the car and knocking the others back. They were soon taken care of, and Georgia swung the car back around, crushing them as well.

Georgia sighed in pain, the weight of the car had been worth it, but it still tired her out. She glared at the three Chitauri attacking Steve, and pumped them full of electricity.

Steve looked back at her, nodding his thanks before taking on a few more.

Georgia glanced up, seeing Stark flying through the air. "Stark. How's it looking?" she asked through the intercom, turning and taking out another alien foe.

_'Swell. Just swell.'_ Stark said sarcastically. Georgia scowled to herself and turned back around, watching more Chitauri appear around her. She panicked, retreating a few steps backwards.

"I'm really not cut out for this." she said to herself, taking out another with electricity. She didn't know how long she'd be able to do this. The pain in her head hadn't returned yet... but if it ever did while she was fighting, well, Georgia didn't want to think about that. She noticed Thor had joined them at this point. She hadn't even have time to notice.

She heard the sound of an engine behind her, she turned, and saw Bruce Banner riding in on a motorcycle. He smiled tiredly as he addressed all of them, approaching them.

"So..." Banner started. "This all seems... horrible." Georgia nodded, giving a dry laugh. That was an understatement.

"I've seen worse." Natasha disagreed, looking at Banner.

"Sorry." Bruce said quickly.

"No..." Romanoff said, stopping his apology. "We could... use... a little worse."

"Stark, we got him." Steve said into his earpiece.

_"Banner?"_ Stark answered.

"Just like you said." Steve responded.

_"Then tell him to suit up... I'm bringing the party to you."_ Stark answered, and with that, he broke out of a building. The large serpentine monster following close behind.

"I... I don't see how that's a party." Natasha said, her voice dazed. Georgia's eyes widened, and she couldn't help but smile at the aburdity of this beast nearing them.

"Doctor Banner, I think now might be a good time for you to get angry." Steve said as the creature neared them. Georgia stood by Steve, her face nervous.

"That's my secret, Cap..." Bruce said, turning towards the beast. "I'm always angry." With that, he began to transform. Georgia couldn't believe her eyes, as the meek doctor transformed into the 'green rage monster' she had heard so much about.

He punched the beats square in the face, collapsing it in seconds. Georgia was impressed, but as Stark sent a missile right into the beast's underbelly, she was forced to duck and cover. Steve covered himself and Natasha with his shield, and Clint pulled her behind a car with him. She gasped slightly, but pulled herself together, circling up with the Avengers once the danger had passed.

"Call it, Cap." Tony said, waiting for the plan.

"All right, listen up! Until we can close that portal up there, what we need is containment. Barton: I want you on that roof, eyes on everything. Call out patterns and strays. Stark: you've got the perimeter. Anything gets more than three blocks out, you turn it back or you turn it to ash. Thor: you've gotta try and bottleneck that portal, slow them down. You've got the lightning - light the bastards up!" Steve said, speaking fast. Each member nodded in turn, some speeding off to get to their job.

Steve turned to Natasha and Georgia. "Us three, we're staying on the ground, keep the fighting here." Georgia glanced at Romanoff, nodding.

"And Hulk..." Steve started, turning to the thing that was Dr. Banner. Georgia stared up at him, still unable to believe it. "Smash."

The Hulk grinned, and jumped up onto a nearby building, taking out Chitauri as he went.

Georgia glanced up uncertainly at Captain America. He gave her a reassuring smile, before the three began their onslaught. Georgia tossed her spare guns and ammo to Natasha, having no need of them. And she had to smile in disbelief as more and more Chitauri appeared.

"You wanted to be involved, Georgia Anne." she grumbled to herself, before leaping into action.

...

**Suckish chapter. I know, I know.**

**I don't have much to say today... besides, as always, thank you for the wonderful reviews and keep them coming! **

**Love you all!**

**Jess**


	7. Chapter 7

_Circuit Breaker_

"Steve, I don't know how long I can keep this up!" Georgia shouted, flipping over a nearby car, crushing some Chitauri.

"None of this is gonna be worth a damn if we don't close that portal!" he shouted back, taking out a few himself. Georgia grunted her agreement as she continued battling.

She lost track of the conversation for a moment, as she was almost decapitated by a Chitauri's spear, but once it was down, she turned and saw Steve launching Natasha into the air, where she hitched a ride on one of the Chitauri's vehicles.

"Where's she going?" Georgia asked, inching her fight back towards Steve.

"To try and take out the portal." he explained, then turned and yelled; "Duck!" Georgia ducked immediately, and Steve swung his shield over where her head had been, taking out a couple Chitauri that were charging at them.

"Thanks." Georgia breathed, smiling for a split second, before lighting up a few more approaching Chitauri.

She groaned as she felt energy draining from her. She panted, hands on her knees for a few seconds, before having to swing back into action.

"The Chitauri have civilians caught in that building!" Steve said, pointing to a nearby structure. "I'll be right back." With that, he took off towards the building in question.

Georgia turned, more and more Chitauri were appearing around her.

"Great." she spat, exhausted. She cried out in effort as she allowed what seemed to be a pulse of electricity out from her body. It took out the nearby Chitauri, but drained her body further. She groaned as she fell to her knees. Her body was spent. She'd never used her powers for fighting before, and although they could be utilized for battle, she wasn't used to it and it tired her out.

She eyed a lone Chitauri that was approaching her, spear at the ready. She couldn't even find the strength to move, much less electrocute the beast. She bowed her head, admitting her defeat.

It was suddenly blasted away, Georgia looked up to see Iron Man streaking past her.

"Come on, Georgia." he encouraged through the intercom. "You aren't admitting defeat, are you? Tsk, tsk."

Georgia scowled at his retreating figure. "Shut up, Stark." she snapped into the earpiece, and was about to insult him further, when an explosion sounded behind her. She whipped around to see Steve blown out of a window, landing on top of a car.

"Steve!" she screamed, forgetting her exhaustion momentarily and racing towards him. She reached him, and put her hands on his arm, making sure he was alive.

He turned and smiled tiredly at her. "I'm alright." he said, groaning as he sat up.

"Jesus, no you're not." Georgia gasped, observing the cuts covering his body. She head snapped up as she heard The Hulk roar in pain in the distance. Another explosion sounded from Hawkeye's watchtower.

"Everything's falling to shit." she mumbled, helping Steve up. "I can't conjure up any energy, you're badly hurt, Hulk's obviously not doing well, Clint may be blown to bits, Natasha's having a mid-air drag race with Loki, and I have no idea what the hell Tony's doing. We're so screwed."

_'I can close the portal!' _Natasha's voice said over the intercom. Georgia turned and grinned at Steve. But right after her voice, however, another appeared. This one, with news that was much less cheering.

'_Guys. I've got a nuke flying in in less than a minute.'_ Tony said through the intercom.

Georgia's face dropped. "Oh yeah. We're screwed." she confirmed sarcastically. "Why in the seven floors of hell do you have a nuke flying in?" she demanded over the intercom.

_'I don't have a nuke flying in. S.H.I.E.L.D does. Fury's been overruled, they think they need to blow up the city.' _Tony snapped back.

"Bring it to me. I might be able to override the grid and stop the blast sequence." Georgia commanded, watching him streak towards the oncoming nuclear weapon.

'_Too risky, you won't have enough time by the time I get it down there. Besides. I know exactly where I'm gonna put it.' _Stark said, streaking back towards the city. Georgia realized what he meant as he began his ascent towards the portal.

"Tony!" Georgia shouted into the intercom. "You might not come back, y'know."

_'Glad you care, Georgie_.' he said smugly back, before disappearing completely into the portal.

"Way to end on a positive note, Stark." Georgia mumbled, but her irritation at the nickname was half-baked. She stared up into the portal, watching for any sign of the man.

"Whoa!" Steve suddenly said, throwing his shield and knocking down a Chitauri that was bounding towards them. They had forgotten about them momentarily.

But as Georgia got ready to take out approaching aliens, they suddenly fell over, completely lifeless. She stared up into the portal, and saw the explosion. Her eyes widened as she realized that Tony Stark was probably never coming out of there alive.

"Didn't expect that one out of Tony Stark, huh?" Georgia asked lightly, clearing her throat. She and Steve joined up with Thor, and the three simply stared up into the portal for as long as they had hope to spare.

When hope had run out, Steve told Natasha to close the portal over the intercom. Georgia watched with wide eyes as the portal to the outer galaxy slowly closed, still with no sign of Stark.

She felt tears spring to her eyes, but caught herself before they fell. She composed herself, and crossed her arms, trying to look aloof. She felt a certain... fondness for these people, although she hadn't known them long. It was like they were her new family. Georgia didn't have any family. The feeling was new to her. She cleared her throat, and pushed the thoughts out of her mind, keeping her eyes on the portal.

The portal closed completely, and it seemed the whole world stopped in a respectful silence for Tony.

But Georgia noticed a speck falling from where the portal had been. A surviving Chitauri? Georgia conjured a meager about of energy to scan the item, and recognized it as Stark's Iron Man suit.

"Well, son of a bitch." Georgia said happily as her eyes returned to normal. The others caught on and watched as Iron Man descended to earth. But Georgia noticed something strange. There was no fuel exhaust coming off his thrusters.

"He is not slowing down." Thor said as he began to swing his hammer, preparing for flight. But before he could do anything, out of nowhere, the Hulk jumped into the scene. He caught Stark's lifeless body in his arms, and brought him to the circle that now consisted of four.

Thor pulled off Tony's mask, and Georgia felt a sob fighting it's way up her throat as she looked down on his peaceful face. She choked it back down and unconsciously moved closer to Steve for comfort.

A few seconds ticked by in silence, before The Hulk roared loudly in sadness, making everyone jump. Including Tony. He gasped as he awakened, looking around in panic.

"What the hell?" he gasped, looking at each of the people around him. "What just happened? Please tell me nobody kissed me."

"Thanks." Georgia mumbled, frowning at him. On the inside, however, she was extremely happy for a snarky comment.

"No offense, Georgie. You're pretty and all, I just don't fancy being burnt to a crisp, thanks." he answered, turning his eyes to look at Captain. "So?"

"We won." Steve announced proudly.

Tony grinned and laughed softly. "All right, hey! All right good job guys. Let's just not come in tomorrow; let's just take a day." he suggested. Georgia smirked.

"You ever tried shawarma? There's a shawarma joint about two blocks from here." Tony asked. "I don't know what it is, but I wanna try it."

"We're not finished yet." Thor reminded him, bending down to help Stark up.

"Alright." he said, allowing Thor and Steve to help him up. "And then shawarma."

Georgia couldn't help but laugh. "Yes. And then shawarma." she agreed. She walked with the rest of the team to the Stark Industries building, where they knew they'd find Loki. Clint joined them, but they were still missing Natasha.

"Looks like we're taking the elevator..." Georgia said, eyeing Stark's spent thrusters. "Unless we wanna ride Hulk Airlines." She flinched slightly as she looked at the Hulk, standing right next to her. She knew he wouldn't hurt her... probably. But it still unnerved her that Banner was at risk to turn into this... thing... anytime he got pissed.

Georgia noticed the Hulk eyeing her strangely. Her eyes widened as she realized what he was thinking of doing.

"_No_." she said firmly, crossing her arms and scooting away. Her refusal went unnoticed as The Hulk grinned, grabbing her around the waist in one of his enormous hands and leapt into the air with her crushed against his side.

Georgia screamed as they were airborne, struggling against the massive man's grasp. She jolted as he attached them to the building with one hand, taking another massive leap to the top. Georgia thought seriously about shocking him, but was too shocked and too drained of energy to conjure up even a spark.

As they landed, they entered through a Hulk-sized hole in the plate-glass. Georgia wondered when he had last been there. She turned and glared at the green giant, and was about to scold him... when she remembered exactly who he was. And he could crush her like a bug. However, their eyes met in the process. Georgia's widened as she realized that his eyes hadn't changed with the transformation. They were the exact shade as they were when he was human.

The realization unnerved her, yet it made him seem less... monstrous to her. She gave him a nervous smile and followed him to a rather large hole in the ground, where she found Loki unconscious.

The rest of the Avengers reached the top floor by normal person means: the elevator.

"Well that looked like quite the ride." Stark said sarcastically, leading the group into the room. Natasha had joined them at this point.

"A doozy." Georgia mumbled, glaring at the man. The team all massed together as they realized that Loki was waking up. Clint nocked an arrow, drawing it back and aiming straight at Loki's face. Georgia stood between The Hulk and Captain America, crossing her arms and raising an eyebrow at the Norse god of mischief.

Loki sat up, his eyes widening as he spotted the crowd of superheroes staring him down.

"If it's all the same to you, I think I'll have that drink." he said, looking straight at Tony. Nobody said anything. Clint walked over with Thor, Tony and Steve to pull the man from the rubble, forcing him to stand up.

"What are we going to do with him?" Clint asked.

"Well, I don't know about you, Agent Barton... But I need a shower." Tony said, walking over and removing his armor. "And a change of clothes. Thor, how long until you can get a ride back to Asgard?"

"At least an hour. We have the Tesseract, but I will have to wait until the necessary equipment is available to return to Asgard."

"Perfect. Let's see... McGuiness. Watch Loki while the rest of us... oh, Dr. Banner. Welcome back." Stark said. Georgia turned to see Bruce had returned to his original form, holding up his overly-large pants with one hand, and holding his head with the other.

"Thanks." Bruce said with a half-hearted chuckle.

"C'mon. Let's get you some pants. McGuiness. Just... watch him for like fifteen minutes." Stark said, pouting an arm around Bruce and walking away.

Agents Barton and Romanoff had disappeared, probably to follow Stark's lead. Thor left to find this 'equipment', and Steve followed Bruce and Tony.

She was alone with him. Georgia sighed as she stripped off her mask, gauntlets, and armor.

"If you try _anything_, I will fucking destroy you." she warned, pushing Loki onto one of the couches and restraining his hands by bending the metal around his wrists behind his back. She bound his legs together for good measure. She walked to the bar behind the couches, keeping an eye on Loki as she did so.

She poured herself a hard drink before sitting in an armchair diagonal from where Loki was sitting. She stared at him in silence, taking sips from her drink periodically. He simply stared at the floor, saying nothing.

It was a good forty five minutes before Stark, Bruce, and Steve emerged from the backroom. They were all showered and clean, each of them in a change of clothes.

"Okay, ladies. My turn." Georgia said in irritation, passing the three and walking to the back.

"I set out a change of clothes for you." Tony called. "If you're wondering where I got the women's clothing... well, I have compiled quite a collection over the years."

Georgia turned and gave him a disgusted look over her shoulder before entering the room with an open door. A yellow sundress was waiting for her, along with a new bra and panties, and a pair of black heels. She carefully picked up the sundress and heels, ignoring the undergarments in disgust.

She entered the attached shower room in awe. It was literally the biggest bathroom she'd ever been in. Turning the nob that she hoped was for 'cold', she started the water in the huge shower. She closed the door, and stripped down. She arched her back as she entered the freezing cold shower, enjoying the feeling as she washed out all of her cuts.

She cut the shower time quickly, washing with Tony's shampoo and conditioner. She couldn't get over the fact that Stark conditioned, but was grateful for it at the time. Georgia jumped out of the shower after turning it off, towel drying herself quickly.

Snooping a little, she found a hairdryer under the fancy sink as well as some make-up. Georgia honestly didn't care what her 'teammates' thought of her, but being forced to wear the same clothes for a few days and not getting a decent shower made her feel like a bit of glamor couldn't hurt.

She brushed out her long black hair, blow drying it as fast as possible. It was sleek when she finished, so she didn't mess with it any further. Georgia applied some make up around her eyes, trying not to think of what trash had used it before her, and deemed herself suitable for public viewing.

She exited the bathroom, her heels clicking the whole way. Entering the room, all three men looked up and smiled slightly at her arrival.

"What." she asked pointedly. "I know, I know, 'so beautiful you can't speak.' 'Your heart longs with love for me.' Maybe even a little wishing that you were a glove upon my hand. Blah blah blah. Let's get this over with." She felt refreshed and energized after her shower, and she easily unclasped Loki's legs, allowing them to escort him downstairs, where they found Steve's motorcycle and one of Tony's gorgeous cars waiting.

Georgia got in the backseat, with Loki in tow. She clasped her seat belt as Tony revved the car, feeling nervous with him behind the wheel.

They met up with Thor and the two agents in front of Central Park.

"He will face Asgardian justice." he assured the Avengers as he escorted Loki away. He had a strange device with the Tesseract within it in his hand. Loki's mouth was covered with a metal plate to keep the magician from using any tricks.

Thor nodded good-bye to them all before twisting his side of the device, sending the two up in a blue streak of light. They stared upwards for a minute, before everyone began going their separate ways.

"Oh, by the way..." Stark said to the mass. "I'm doing renovations on Stark Tower. A floor is being made to host each of you, kind of like an Avengers HQ. Just an option if anyone wants to take the opportunity. It'll be there."

With that, he started walking, with Bruce and Georgia in tow, to a car. A different car.

"Wait, wait. That's not your car." Georgia protested as they neared it. The other car was blue, and had room for four people. This one was red, and had only two seats.

"Tony Stark can never been seen in the same car twice in a day." he said smugly, hopping in.

"But where am I supposed to sit?" she demanded, eyeing the double seating.

"Well... I suppose you can sit on dear Dr. Banner's lap." Stark said, with a questionable grin. "I'm sure he won't mind."

Bruce's face heated up with a light blush, as Georgia's heated up with irritation. She glanced at Bruce nervously.

"It's either that, or walk." Stark reminded her, grinning as he started revving the engine as Banner sat in the passenger's seat.

Georgia gritted her teeth and complied, lowing her frame delicately on Bruce's lap awkwardly. She steadied herself with a hand on the door next to her.

"This is so illegal." she murmured, glaring over her shoulder at Tony.

"I'm Tony Stark." he reminded her smugly, pealing away from the curb. Georgia lurched in her seat, almost flying out of the car, before Bruce wrapped an arm around her waist, keeping her safe.

"Thanks." she mumbled, hiding her embarrassment. Bruce nodded stiffly in reply.

They reached Stark Tower in an amount of time that should be considered illegal due to the speed they traveled. Georgia exited the car delicately, apologizing to Bruce for the inconvenience, glaring at Tony.

The billionaire only smiled, and led the way up to Stark Tower's penthouse.

"So... Georgia." he said, turning to her once they entered his abode. "What are we going to do with you."

...

**Okaaay! Cliffhanger. Great chapter. I loved writing it, and I hope you loved reading it.**

**Its extremely hot up here, so I'm gonna cut this short.**

**Hope you liked it! Don't forget to let me know via PM or reviews!**

**Oh! And I need help with something. A 'hero' name for Georgia. Something the papers will call her. I can think of nothing, can you? Let me know! It'd be MUCH appreciated! And if I use yours, I'll dedicate a chapter for you in thank you! Incentive!**

**Okay! Love you lots! **

**Jess**


	8. Chapter 8

_Circuit Breaker_

**Light mentions of alcoholic use in this chapter. By over-aged persons, yes, but just to let you know.**

_"So... Georgia." Tony Stark said, turning to her once they entered his abode. "What are we going to do with you."_

Georgia turned and raised an eyebrow. "Concerning what, exactly?" she asked, bending down briefly to remove the heels.

"Concerning what you're going to do now." Stark clarified, removing his sunglasses. "Are you going back to Germany?"

Georgia couldn't help but blush a little. "Ah, ahem. About that..." she started twisting the bottom of her dress in discomfort. "I kind of... sort of... forgot to let my company know where I was going. And my landlord..."

"Oh?" Tony inquired, a smirk forming on his handsome face.

"Yeah..." Georgia drawled, unable to look him in the face. "It was such a split-second thing, I forgot to even call them. And it was the end of the month when I left, and I owed rent money. Obviously, I wasn't there to pay. Agent Hill informed me that I've been evicted from my apartment, and... since I haven't shown up for work in a few days... fired, as well."

"Can't S.H.I.E.L.D just... you know. Pull some strings and get your life back on track?" Bruce asked from across the room.

"I don't know about you, but I don't want to owe S.H.I.E.L.D anything." Georgia grumbled, crossing her arms. "Obviously they'd supply airline back to Stuttgart if I wanted to go, but asking them to get me back my job and home would just be... demeaning, I don't know."

"Ah. Pride issues." Stark commented, pouring himself a drink at his bar, stepping over the Loki-sized hole in the ground.

"No!" Georgia protested, her face heating up. "I just... I don't know."

"Well you always rambled on about 'going back to your normal life'." Tony pointed out.

"I know. And I do want to have a normal life. I don't want people to look at me and think 'superhero'. Because I'm not. But at the same time, I don't want to go back to my job as an engineer where I was and pretend that I'm second best when I'm the best. I always had to try less so that I wouldn't draw attention to myself." she explained. "Although having nine degrees in engineering acquired over five years of college didn't help with that."

"I think I understand." Tony said seriously, and then broke out into a grin. "You_ liike _us. You don't want to leave."

Georgia scowled at him. "Okay, sure. I had a good time meeting you all. Even under the circumstances." she admitted, her voice harsh. "And being a wannabe 'hero' for the time being was fun."

"'Wannabe'?" Stark asked, amused. "Jarvis, pull up the news broadcast from earlier today regarding Ms. McGuiness."

"With pleasure, sir." a mechanical voice said back. Georgia eyed the ceiling warily.

"My personal artificial intelligence program." Stark explained. Georgia nodded, impressed.

_'And along with sightings of the Iron Man and Captain America battling, there is a new masked super heroine that seems to have emerged with them. Yes, a woman who seems to be able to control technology itself as well as emit a powerful electrical current from her fingertips.'_ a woman's voice said over the speakers.

_'That's right, Sarah. There is no confirmed name for her, but gratifying citizens that were indirectly saved by her call her by the names of 'Voltage', 'Miss. Electric', and even 'Mechanisma'. The true identity of this woman has not been made public, but whoever she is, I'm sure there are many people out there who consider her their hero. Back to you, Steve.'_ a male's voice boomed next, before the auto cut out.

Georgia glared at Tony. "Wonderful. Now people think I'm a hero. That's just peachy." she snapped. "I'm no hero. I killed a bunch of aliens, so what? And now they're even making up names for me. This was a one time thing!" Her volume had increased to shouting, and she was heaving for breath by the time she finished.

"You seem to have a vendetta against being called a hero." Tony observed, taking a drink from a beer he supplied himself with. After offering one to Bruce, who refused it, Georgia sent a current of electricity over and snatched it for herself. She glared at Stark as she cracked it open mentally, taking a long sip.

"I do." Georgia agreed sharply. "Because I don't like being called things I'm not. Like Mrs. That pisses me off. I'll have you know right now that I'm divorced."

Tony saw wild fire ignite in her eyes when she spoke of her divorce, so he didn't push her further. "Going back to the problem that started all of this: I'd like to make you a proposal." he said, walking over to where she was standing.

"This'll be amusing." Georgia said, her voice challenging. Stark only smirked.

"You need a job. Work for me." he said simply. When Georgia tried to protest, he kept talking over her. "You need a place to stay, stay here in one of the newly renovated floors once they're finished."

Georgia blinked, momentarily speechless. "And how's that going to look, Tony? I'm trying to keep my real identity a secret. How's it gonna look that a woman with long black hair, just like Miss. Sparky or whatever the hell they're calling me moves in with the man widely known as Iron Man and one of the Avengers?" she demanded.

Tony shrugged. "I'll have Pepper work on that. She's a master at defusing press. Besides, there's millions of people with long black hair. Any speculation can easily be passed off as just that. Speculation." he persuaded. "And... you'd have your own lab. Your own team of researchers, if you'd like. All I ask is that you assist me in finding new, reliable sources of clean energy. My system now is still only a prototype, and it's only good for about a year. I need a good engineer with as much extensive knowledge to match my own."

Georgia had to admit, the offer was tempting. Though Tony Stark really grinded her gears, but he was a well known and well respected man. And she didn't have to hide if she worked with him. He already knew she was 'special', and he probably would benefit greatly if she utilized her powers working for him. Besides. She didn't want to be bothered by S.H.I.E.L.D anymore. He was a master at evading them, and not following their 'orders'.

"What about my lodging now?" she stammered, trying to seem still aloof and undecided. "The renovations won't be done for months."

Tony shrugged. "I have a few spare rooms. You'd be free to take your pick. Right after Dr. Banner choosing his, of course." he explained, smirking at the end of his sentence.

Georgia glanced at Bruce, who had been sitting quietly almost this whole time. "He's staying here, too?" she asked. It came out in a rude tone, but she didn't mean it that way. It was just surprise.

"Yeah, I have a think for adopting strays from other countries." Tony snarked, grinning as he took a sip from his beer. "They're just too darn cute. The only problem is keeping them from mating. They breed like rabbits, you know."

Georgia's face heated up in indignation, unable to look at Banner after that comment. "Do you have any filter on what you say at all?" she demanded.

"Nope." Tony said, popping the 'p' and shrugging his shoulders. "But I can afford it. So. What's your answer? Should I make up a guest room?"

The offer was too good to pass up. She could restart her life. Again. Though she didn't want to be involved in this 'hero' business, she could easily just stand by and watch Tony deal with the heroics, while she sat comfortably in her lab. She had no obligation to do anything.

Georgia sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Okay." she mumbled, almost inaudibly.

"I'm sorry, what was that?" Tony asked sarcastically, putting a hand by his ear mockingly. Georgia gritted her teeth in irritation.

"I said _yes_, Anthony!" she snapped, finishing her beer and slamming the can down on the counter.

"Wonderful, Georgie." Tony said, grinning widely. "Glad to have you join Stark Industries. I'll have an I.D. badge ready for you in the morning." He shook her hand, still grinning. Georgia scowled at him and shocked him quickly. He only grinned wider and pulled his hand back. She turned to stalk away, when she realized something.

"What about all my things in Germany? Clothes, furniture?" she inquired. "I need to find a way to get all that back here."

Tony waved a hand. "Already taken care of. It'll be here by tomorrow morning, as well." he informed her.

"Wait. You already planned this out? Before I even agreed?" Georgia demanded, crossing her arms.

He shrugged. "Ye-eah. I kinda figured you'd say yes." he said smirking.

Georgia pursed her lips. "Fine." she said curtly, spinning on her heel and marching out of the room to find a guest room to claim.

After a few minutes of roaming, she decided that she had no idea which room were which. Not wanting to ask Tony for a tour, she remembered the AI program installed.

"Uh, Jarvis?" she called timidly, hoping that it wasn't programmed just for Tony's voice.

"Yes, Miss. McGuiness." Jarvis' voice answered politely. Georgia smiled a bit at the advanced technology. If there was one thing she respected, it was technology.

"Could you direct me to the guest rooms?" she asked, looking around.

"Of course, ma'am. Master Stark has already had a room made up for you. It is right down the hall to your right, and it is the second door on the left." Jarvis directed.

"Thank you." Georgia murmured back, following the directions to a rich mahogany door. She opened it slowly, to a vast, lush bedroom. The color palate was made up of blues, grey, and white. A large bed, big enough for three Georgias sat in the middle of the far wall.

She explored in an excitement similar to a small girl's. She opened all the doors, to find a walk-in closet and a bathroom not unlike the one she had used earlier that day. A flat-screen television sat directly across from her bed, situated on the wall.

Georgia couldn't help but smile as she felt the soft bedspread on her new bed. It was gorgeous. She decided to go and find Tony and (begrudgingly) thank him for the wonderful room. As she exited her room, however, she almost bumped into a rather beautiful, red haired woman.

"Oh, hello, Miss. McGuiness. I'm Pepper Potts, Mr. Stark's personal assistant." she said kindly, extending her hand.

Georgia smiled back, shaking the woman's hand. "Hi, you can call me Georgia. It's nice to meet you." she said politely.

"I was just stopping by to see if there was anything you need. A basic change of clothes has been provided for the night, until your possessions arrive tomorrow morning." she said, still smiling as she spoke. Georgia frowned in thought, but came up with nothing.

"Nope. I can't think of anything. Thank you, though." Georgia said.

"Just let me or Jarvis know if anything comes up." Pepper said pleasantly. "Dr. Banner's room is right next to yours, and Tony's room is upstairs if you need anything. Have a good day, Georgia." With that, Pepper gave her one last smile and walked away, her clipboard pressed to her chest.

Georgia nodded, and walked in the opposite direction, to wander about a bit more.

...

**A lot shorter chapter than last time, I know. I'm sorry. **

**Wow! So much feedback on that last chapter! Thanks, guys! I really, really appreciate it. I do, I promise. I should give you guys more of an incentive to review more often;)**

**So I haven't really chosen a 'winner' yet, for Georgia's 'hero' name. You may have noticed that I used a few of your ideas in the news report, however. So I'd like to thank Sam0728, Mandie215, and an unnamed Guest for their ideas that I used! Thanks so much!**

**Though she's not named YET.:)**

**Okay, so definitely another chapter up tomorrow. Or Thursday. Probably tomorrow.**

**Love you all! Don't forget to review and let me know how I be doing!**

**Jess**


	9. Chapter 9

_Circuit Breaker _

Georgia awoke with a start. She had forgotten where she was, and it took her a few seconds to remember that she was now living with Tony Stark.

She rubbed her head, pushing back her bangs as she sat up. Her things from Germany had arrived two days ago, her furniture put in storage until her own penthouse was finished, and her clothes stored in her walk-in closet... though they didn't even fill up half the gigantic room.

Georgia kicked her feet over the side of the bed, stretching as she stood up. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes as she checked the clock, it read 9:42. Georgia was an early riser most days, and this was considered 'late' for her. She trudged out of her room in her tank top and yoga shorts, with no concern for modesty.

Walking into the kitchen, she didn't realize someone else was present until she turned, coffee pot and mug in hand.

"Oh. Good morning, Bruce." she said as pleasantly as possible, pouring a cup for herself. He was sitting on a stool at the kitchen counter.

"Good morning." he said quietly, taking a sip from his own cup. He was reading the paper, a typical man's morning routine.

"More coffee?" Georgia asked. Bruce nodded absently and she filled his cup before replacing the pot on the burner. She sat on the stool across from him, turning on the small television that was perched in the upper corner of the room. She kept the volume low, so Bruce could continue reading.

Flipping through the channels, she settled on watching Saturday morning cartoons. Scooby-Doo was on, and she had to smile as she sipped her coffee.

Bruce glanced up over his paper, first at the TV and then at Georgia with a bemused look. She noticed, and shrugged a bit self consciously.

"I like cartoons." she said simply, sipping her black coffee. Bruce smiled in amusement before going back to his paper.

After a while of sitting in a slightly uncomfortable silence for the both, Bruce stood, and Georgia could see that he was already dressed for the day. He smiled at her as he folded the newspaper, and headed for the elevator, key card in hand.

Georgia didn't have any trouble figuring out where he was off to. He was heading for his personal lab that Tony had given to him for his use. For the past three days that Georgia had been living with them, he had spent most of his time down in his lab. He went down there early in the morning, and Georgia didn't even hear him come back at night. He only spared Tony and Georgia a few hours of face time, usually at mealtimes.

Besides that, Georgia only saw him through the glass of his lab as she was heading to her own since they were right next to each other.

She briefly wondered if he even slept at all. He always had dark circles under his eyes, always seeming and looking exhausted.

She pondered on his antisocial ways as she poured herself a bowl of cereal, and looked up as she heard the elevator 'ding' again. Was Banner coming back?

No, it was Pepper Potts. She was dressed casually, and didn't have her usual clipboard with her.

"Hi, Pepper." Georgia said, sitting back down at the counter with a spoon and a fresh glass of orange juice to go with her coffee. Tony had told her to make herself comfortable in her temporary abode. She complied by eating his food and taking advantage of his billions of TV channels.

"Good morning, Georgia. Is Tony up yet?" she asked, approaching where Georgia sat.

"Nope. I haven't seen him yet today." Georgia sat, motioning for Pepper to take a seat. The two had kind of formed a small friendship in the short time she had lived there. She had realized that Pepper wasn't just a personal assistant to their mutual boss. They were also involved romantically, though Georgia couldn't understand how one could stand to put up with such an irritating man. Unless you were a gold digger, of course, which she could tell that Pepper was not.

Pepper complied, taking the seat Bruce had occupied. "I'll get him up soon. He asked me to come and make sure everything is going smoothly for his benefit tonight." she explained.

Georgia looked over from the TV. "A benefit?" she asked, completely unaware of this.

Pepper nodded. "Yeah, it's a big charity event for those who were hurt in the whole Chitauri business. A lot of rich people come and donate their money. It makes Tony look good, so he likes to have a lot of them." she said with a chuckle. "He didn't tell you?"

Georgia frowned. "No. I guess I'm not important enough." she said, amused.

Pepper frowned as well. "Well, you're on the guest list, you and Bruce." she informed her. "And all the other Avengers are invited, as well. It's kind of a publicity stunt, actually."

Georgia raised an eyebrow. "I hope I'm invited as 'Georgia' and not 'Sparks A Lot'." she said disapprovingly. Pepper laughed.

"Of course. Though Tony wanted to make you a guest of honor along with the others, I figured that even if we didn't introduce you as one of the heroes it would look too suspicious." she said, smiling.

Georgia sighed in relief. "Thanks, Pepper. I really appreciate that." she said earnestly. "But I'm probably not even going to go, anyway. I'm not much for fancy parties. And I feel like it'll look too suspicious, anyway, me being there."

"You're one of Tony Stark's friends. There will be dozens of other women there with black hair, nobody's going to automatically assume that you're the woman with black hair. If anyone asks, introduce yourself as an engineer from Germany who just started to work with Tony Stark. Put a German accent in there, your alter ego didn't have one, according to eyewitnesses of the battle." Pepper advised. "I promise if there's any suspicion, I'll defuse it myself. Or Tony will have a press conference concerning it."

Georgia gave Pepper a skeptical look. "It's not my 'alter ego'. I'm taking an early retirement from this hero business." she correctly, though not unkindly. She found it hard to be harsh with Pepper. "And I know this is such a cliche excuse... but I don't have anything to wear."

Pepper smiled. "Easily fixed. I have too many dresses saved up from years of attending these benefits. You can borrow one of mine." she offered kindly.

Georgia was surprised by the generosity. "That sounds nice." she admitted. "I mean, I'm really not into this kind of event... But I'm guessing there will be an open bar, so I can make it bearable."

Pepper laughed. "Right on." she encouraged, and glanced up the stairs. "Come on. Let's get you a dress picked out and let Tony sleep a bit longer."

The raven haired woman smiled and nodded, following Pepper out the elevator with no concern that she was still in her pajamas, albeit she slipped on a pair of shoes before leaving. They took the elevator to the ground floor, the garage, where Pepper's car was waiting for them. It was obviously one of Tony's old cars that he probably gave her after he was done with it. Pepper revved the engine, and they drove away to a rather nice apartment complex not two blocks from Stark Industries.

She led the technopath up the stairs and into her apartment, which was tastefully furnished. Pepper motioned with her hand to her bedroom, where she opened a closet full of silks, sparkles, and a rainbow of colors. It was filled to the brim with at least two dozen dresses.

Georgia eyed each dress for a moment before pointing. "That one." she said finally. The process had taken less than a minute.

Pepper raised an eyebrow and laughed, taking the royal blue dress out of the closet. "This royal blue will look amazing with your black hair and pale skin." she commented fondly. "Are you sure you don't want to try any other dress?"

Georgia shook her head. "Nope." she said, shrugging. "It's the first one I laid my eyes on, so it's the one I'm going with. I'm not much for color schemes and hours of finding the perfect dress. This one's elegant and pretty and not obnoxious, so it works. Besides. I can make anything look good."

Pepper laughed. "Now you're starting to sound like Tony." she commented, referring to Georgia's last comment.

The raven haired woman gave a look of pure horror. "Oh God. Strike me down where I stand." she exclaimed. "We don't need another one of him prancing around."

Pepper nodded in agreement. "You now what will look good with this dress?" she said suddenly, placing the dress on her bed and opening a small box of jewelry. "These earrings... this necklace... that bracelet..." she listed, pulling out the designated finery as she said them.

Georgia raised an eyebrow at her new friend. "I feel like a Barbie doll." she chuckled as Pepper laid the jewelry down on top of the dress.

Pepper tsked as she picked up the number and thrust it at Georgia. "Go try it on." she demanded wit a smile. Georgia rolled her eyes, but complied. She disappeared into the attached bathroom momentarily, and then emerged in the dress. It was a bit loose around her breasts and hips; Georgia had always been pretty scrawny. But it wasn't noticeable, though a bit uncomfortable.

"Perfect. You have good taste." Pepper said, smiling.

Georgia shrugged her adorned shoulders. She felt a bit... exposed in the dress as her whole back was bared. But Pepper said she looked 'perfect', and she didn't want to look anything but perfection for this... thing. It was her first big event. Ever. Though she wasn't comfortable in those kinds of situations, she wanted to do it right.

"Okay. Now wear these to accessorize... Oh! You know what nail polish would look fantastic?" Pepper said fervently, rushing around the room. By the time Georgia had time to say anything, she had had her nails and toes forcefully painted a silver-blue, several cosmetics and countless tips on how to apply them, and styling spray for after she did her hair for the night. All to get ready for one night. Georgia found the preparation ridiculous, but went along with it for Pepper's sake.

"I feel like you're enjoying this more than I am." Georgia joked once they were finally getting ready to head back to Stark Industries.

"Well... I've worked for Tony so long that I haven't had much time for glam sessions with my girl friends..." Pepper admitted, getting in her car. "It was refreshing, you know?"

Georgia nodded. "Yeah... it's been a while since I've done anything like that..." she told Pepper. "Being an engineer.. you don't really have time for parties or anything. I mean, I probably could have made time, but I'd kinda stupid when it comes to social events or looking the part. All my brain is wired for is mechanics, I guess."

Pepper grinned. "Well, you have me now." she said fondly. "And over the years... I could do one of these things in my sleep. I'll be there to make sure you don't electrocute anybody."

Georgia grinned back. "Oh great. Now I have a babysitter." she said sarcastically.

"Damn straight." Pepper agreed, pulling into Stark Industries' garage. "Which reminds me; you'll have a limo pick you specifically up for the benefit. It's going to be your own, private limousine. We were going to have you right with the other Avengers, but of course, suspicion and speculation issues. Tony's benefits go all out, it's basically like stepping onto the red carpet when arriving."

Georgia followed Pepper to the elevator with her dress and supplies in tow. "So there's going to be a billion people taking pictures of me and asking questions?" she asked.

"Unfortunately." Pepper confirmed, pressing the 'Penthouse' button and scanning her keycard.

"Wonderful. I'm thrilled." Georgia said dryly, stepping into Stark's home. Pepper shrugged.

"I'll be there, as well as Tony. We'll get you through it without a scratch." she promised, heading for the stairs to Tony's bedroom. He was probably still asleep.

"Or he'll push me into the pack of rapid reporters for his amusement." Georgia mumbled, walking to her room.

Pepper laughed. "I'll fish you out." she said, climbing the stairs.

"I'll be in the lab the rest of the day. So if you need me, don't bother me." Georgia called from the hallway. She wanted to get some personal time in her natural element before she was thrust into a dangerous setting that she had no idea how to maneuver in.

"Fair enough. The benefit starts at seven and you'll be picked up at six." Pepper called back before her footsteps faded up the stairs. Georgia hung up her dress in her closet, and threw the bag of pleasantries on her bed.

Looking in her reflection in her wide-screen, she realized that she hadn't changed all day. She shrugged, figuring that it didn't matter now that she had to change once again in... four hours.

Grabbing her keycard, she headed for the elevator. On her way down, she spotted a bowl of fruit on the table. She grabbed an apple for herself, and on an afterthought, grabbed one for Bruce as well. She figured he hadn't eaten since breakfast, if at all.

Heading down to their private lab space, separated only by glass, she spotted Banner in his lab. She knocked quietly before scanning her keycard and putting the code in, stepping inside. He looked up from his work and smiled tiredly at her as she entered.

"Hi, Bruce." she said, a bit more timid than usual. "Here." She tossed him the apple. He caught it in his left hand, and as he moved, she noticed that he was drawing blood from his arm and filling a series of vials with it.

"Thanks." he said, turning back to what he was doing.

The sight of blood wasn't pleasant for Georgia, but her curiosity got the best of her. "What are you doing?" she asked, moving closer.

"Taking some of my blood for testing." he answered, looking up at her.

"What are you testing for?" she continued, trying not to notice the blood vials filling up next to her. It's not that she couldn't handle blood; she hurt herself plenty of times working as an engineer. It was just that needles made her nervous, and the sight of one in someone's arm and a set of vials filling up with human blood made her uncomfortable. It always had. Ever since she was young.

"Abnormalities. Maybe something to explain my... ahem, transformation." he explained, glancing at the bag.

"Ah." Georgia said, knowing nothing about anatomy. "Maybe it's genetic. My adoptive parents were geneticists. They worked a lot with... abnormalities."

"I've exhausted that route. All DNA is different depending on the person, so there really isn't much I can do to compare mine against someone else's. It looks completely normal, whenever I have an opportunity to use a strong enough microscope to view it. There aren't any easily visible distinctions that even remotely suggest that the gamma radiation I endured effected it." Bruce told her.

Georgia was silent for a moment. "Anything I can do to help?" she offered, giving him a sheepish smile.

"Actually, it would help a lot if you'd take the needle out for me." Bruce said slowly. Georgia was alarmed for a moment, eyeing the needle in Bruce's arm. "I've done it so many times myself, but it's honestly a lot easier, and safer, when I have someone to do it for me."

"Ah... I mean, I'm not a doctor." Georgia said timidly. "I wouldn't want to.. uh, hurt you." She knew what would happen if she hurt him.

Bruce gave her a knowing smile. "All you have to do is slide it out the same way in went in. Slowly, of course." he instructed her. "But if you'd rather not, I understand. I can do it myself, it's just a matter of convenience."

Georgia bit her lip. "No, no. I guess I can help you out." she said. Bruce moved his arm so that she could access it. Georgia slowly placed a small hand on his upper arm, right above the injection sight at the cease of his elbow. She leaned forward closer to him, so she could get a good view of what she was doing.

She eyed the doctor as she gripped the base of the needle, slowly removing it and placing it in the sharps container to her right. She exhaled in relief and smiled as she finished, still leaning on the counter.

"It seems like it was a lot harder for you than it was for me." Bruce teased lightly, placing a cotton ball and bandage on the injection site. "And I had a needle in my arm."

Georgia laughed. "Sorry." she said, shrugging. "I've never really enjoyed taking needles out of other people's arms... Can't imagine why."

Bruce chuckled, reaching for the vials. "Just wait. You'll learn to love it." he assured, putting on his glasses. Their eyes met for a brief second, both of them smiling, before Georgia realized that she was still bent over him, and stood up with a clearing of her throat.

"So, excited for the benefit tonight?" she asked casually, moving away from his work space. He stood and walked to a type of machine.

Banner smirked back at her. "Not at all, to be honest. But Tony's honoring us all there, so I hardly can skip it." he admitted, placing the vials in a processor of some sort and turning to lean against the machine and face her.

"Honoring _you _all." Georgia corrected. "I'm on the 'down low', remember? Not a hero."

"Of course." Bruce agreed. They were silent for a moment.

"Well. I have to head to my own lab." Georgia said finally, standing up from her leaning position. "I'll see you tonight. Let me know if you need me to, y'know, inject you with something or perform open heart surgery. I'm sure I can oblige."

Bruce laughed softly. "I wouldn't have anybody else do it." he promised, sitting back down at his desk.

Georgia laughed as well as she exited his lab, walking the few steps to her own. She swiped her keycard, typing in the keycode. Of course, it included the number sixty-nine, much to Tony's immature amusement. He had set up the lock code.

She sat at her desk, relaxing back into it as she glanced around at her mess of notes from the few days she had worked for Stark in here. The clock read '2:57'. Only two hours until she had to get ready for the benefit. She sighed as she brought up her computer files. Not enough time.

...

**Yay! I mean... it's technically Thursday... but I got it up, god damn it! I worked on this all day. No really. All day. **

**An absence of Tony. A friendship forming between Georgia and Pepper, as well as, what's that, a spark betwen her and Banner? Oh my!**

**A picture of Georgia's dress is up on my profile, if you're interested. It's pretty. **

**So, I hope you liked this chapter! I sure did. Don't forget to review and/or PM me any of your likes, dislikes, critisms, or ideas! I love ideas for events, so please. If you have any inspiration at all, I'll be sure to consider it. **

**Love you!**

**Jess**


	10. Chapter 10

_Circuit Breaker_

Georgia was melding, her face covered by a mask. When she finally lifted her mask and checked the clock, it was already ten after five.

"Shit!" she cursed quietly, throwing down the mask and the blowtorch. She wiped her hands on her shorts hastily as she exited her lab. She glanced into Bruce's own workspace as she raced past. He even started getting ready before her.

Georgia tapped her feet impatiently as the elevator rose to the Penthouse level.

She spotted Tony out of the corner of her eye. "Say anything to me and I will get as drunk as possible and light up the whole building tonight." she threatened, in a bad temper. She wouldn't even look at him.

Tony only chuckled, and she disappeared inside her room.

Forty-five minutes until she was to be picked up for this... thing. That's enough time... right?

She had already showered the night before, so that was taken care of. All she needed to do was her hair and make-up. She washed her face of all traces of cosmetics, so she could start with a clean slate.

She followed all of Pepper's tips, utilizing all the cosmetics that had been lent to her. Her eyes were lined in black with a dusting of silver on her lids. Though it was clumsy work, and Georgia got frustrated several times... it looked presentable when she finished.

She stripped down stark naked, prancing to her closet to get her dress. She would do her hair once it was on, in order not to mess it up when slipping a dress over it.

When she was nearing her closet, a knock sounded at the door.

"Georgia?" it was Tony's smug voice that called through the wood.

"I'm naked." she snapped back, diving into her closet and pulling out her dress and a pair of panties.

Tony didn't say anything for a moment. "So?" he finally asked slyly. Georgia snorted as she took the plastic off her dress, slipping it over her head.

"What do you want?" she demanded, adjusting the garment. She really didn't feel like seeing the man right now, when she'd have to spend a whole night at his benefit with him.

"Just letting you know that we're leaving, Bruce, Pepper, and I." he said. "Please... try not to be too late. That's my job."

"I'll try my best." Georgia snapped, walking back into the bathroom with the rest of Pepper's bag in tow.

She was originally going to curl her hair, but decided that she didn't have enough time. She glanced at the clock. 5:41. She pulled out her straightener, turning it on.

She was too impatient to wait for it to heat up naturally, so she sent a current into the device from her hand, readying it in seconds.

Georgia straightened her hair as fast as she could and as best as she could. She pushed her side-swept bangs out of her face when she was finished, placing the earrings, necklace, and bracelet onto her body.

A sudden thought dawned on Georgia. She didn't have any heels that weren't work shoes. Racing to the door to see if she could catch Pepper, she almost tripped over something at her feet.

A pair of gorgeous, silver shoes. And the pepper shaker from the kitchen. She had to grin as she picked up the shoes, sitting on her bed and placing them on her feet.

They were higher than she was used to, but supposed she had no other options, so she dealt with it. Glancing at herself in the mirror, she was satisfied. Her sleek hair fell to the middle of her back, and her deep brown eyes really popped with the new make up, thanks to Pepper.

Not having a handbag to bring, she just left her cell phone a home and stuck her key card between the fabric that was held taunt over her ribs. As she prepared to exit her room, she glanced a the digital clock. 6:02. Right on time.

She descended to the main floor, feeling out of place in her current state of dress. She spotted a limo and a driver with her last name on a card. It was a rather... huge limousine.

"I'm Georgia." she said, approaching him. The driver smiled, opening the door for her. She slid in onto the expensive leather seats, the door closing behind her.

There was some classical music playing in the background. Georgia quickly found the stereo, changing the station to a mix station, playing all types of music.

'I Get Knocked Down' by Chumbawamba was playing, and Georgia grinned at the music. She poured herself a glass of champagne, relaxing in the luxurious vehicle. The drive was altogether too short, however, and Georgia soon found herself looking out into a sea of reporters gathered beside a... red carpet.

Georgia rolled her eyes at Tony's extravagant ways, but felt butterflies build up in her stomach. She spoke to herself in German quietly as she readied herself to emerge, to get ready to have an accent. She swallowed her fear and anxiety, stepping out of the limo with a smirk on her face.

Instantly, the cameras started flashing and her name was being called out. Georgia kept a smile frozen on her face as she walked down the carpet, turning to smile and wave at a few camera. She was surprised over the buzz that started because of her arrival, she didn't think anybody would know who she was.

"Ms. McGuiness! Ms. McGuiness, please! Just a few questions!" one reporter called from behind the barriers. She turned and saw a young woman, seeming to be fresh out of college. She conceded, guessing that she should probably do a few interviews and at least try to pretend she wanted to be there.

"Sure." she said, a German accent fitted into her voice.

"I'm Ferrell Bower, reporting for Island Star News." she informed her. "Tell me, how long have you and Tony Stark known each other?"

"Oh, Tony and I have been friends for ages." she lied easily, a smile gracing her lips. "He only just asked me to come in and work with him a few days ago, however. After all this business with what I hear are aliens?"

Ferrell nodded. "Of course. You're an engineer helping him create new forms of clean energy, I hear." she commented. "And sources also suggest that you are now living with Mr. Stark. Are you two involved in any way?"

Georgia laughed lightly. "Oh, no. I am living with him, yes. But it is only because he worries for me. A young German girl coming back to America and living in New York all by herself? Especially with this... invasion I've heard so much about on your news, I hardly doubt I would be able to handle myself." she explained. She cringed inwardly at the tone of her voice. She sounded stupid. An engineer should never sound stupid. "Tony and I are just colleagues and very good friends, I assure you."

Bower marked a few things in her notepad. "One more question. What do you have to say about speculation that you are Miss. Electric?" she asked seriously, eyeing Georgia's black hair.

On the inside, Georgia cursed Tony with every possible death and misfortune she could think of. On the outside, however, she laughed a tinkering laugh, touching Ferrell on the arm and giving her a thousand watt smile. "That woman who can shoot lightning from her fingertips?" she asked in disbelief. "Though I am honored that I am being mistaken for such a beautiful, talented hero..." she started, almost cringing at the word 'hero'. "I am not her, I promise you that. Thank you for your time."

Ferrell protested as she flounced away, gritting her teeth and trying to shake off the feeling of being one of those ditzy, under-educated women who only wanted their fifteen minutes of fame. She needed to work on her stage personality.

Georgia spotted Tony speaking to a reporter of his own, and she marched up to him, giving him a smile as she touched him on the shoulder. In reality, she wanted to kick him in the throat.

"Ah, here to steal me away, good lady?" he teased her. She suppressed the urge to punch him across the face, and cocked her head with another smile.

"Right." she agreed, taking his arm. "I hope you don't mind." Her German-accented voice was a bit pouty when she spoke to a reporter. He shook his head, smiling back at her as she dragged Tony away.

"I am going to stab you in the neck with one of my heels." she threatened under her breath, smiling at the cameras and she led Tony to the entrance of the benefit.

"Yes, I'm fine, thank you. How are you tonight?" Tony said sarcastically, stopping and putting an arm around her waist to take a picture with her. Georgia smiled into the camera, but as soon as they walked away her face was furious once more.

"I've already been asked about being Electabuzz, and I've been here for ten minutes." she hissed, though on her face was still a perfect smile.

"You look beautiful, by the way." Tony continued, still ignoring Georgia's protests. "It's weird. I didn't know you were... pretty. Though I must say, I do prefer you in spandex." He gave her a perverted smile.

Georgia slapped him lightly on the arm... when she really wanted to burn him to a crisp. "Thanks, Tony. Glad you appreciate my appearance. Didn't know I needed to impress you. I'm telling Pepper what you said." she whispered as they entered the building, where a good mass of people had already entered. Pepper appeared instantly, eyeing the arm around Georgia's waist.

"Tony's hitting on me." she told her friend sharply, pushing away from the man. Pepper raised an eyebrow at him.

"I said she looked beautiful!" Tony protested in a whiny voice. "And she does, look at her!"

Georgia blushed lightly when Pepper looked over, nodding in agreement. Her anger subsided slightly, but she didn't want Tony to know that.

"I'm getting a drink." she growled, trying to get away. She marched to the bar, dress flowing behind her. As expected, it was an open bar. She planned to cost Tony a fortune in alcohol in revenge for this already irritating night.

"Georgia?" a voice asked behind her as she ordered a dry martini. She turned, a stony look covering her face. However, her expression brightened considerably once she realized that it was Steve.

"Hey, Steve." she said, leaning forward into a friendly hug. She forgot to use her German accent. "Don't we look dapper today?"

Rogers smiled. "Thank you, ma'am. You look very pretty yourself." he said, his voice as awkward as a schoolboy with a crush. Georgia had to laugh at his slight blush.

"First of all, 'ma'am' is no longer permitted." she said taking a sip of the martini that was handed to her. "But thank you. Coming from you, I know you mean it."

He smiled even brighter. "I hear you're working for Stark, now." he said, leaning against the bar next to her. "How's that going for you?"

Georgia pulled a face. "Swell. Though he hasn't blown anything up, yet. I suppose that's all I can ask for." she said.

Steve nodded. "All you can hope and pray for." he agreed.

"So have you thought about taking his offer and coming to live in Stark Industries?" she asked, lowering her voice. The bartender was on the other side of the bar, however.

He shrugged. "I've considered it. It would certainly be convenient." he explained. Georgia nodded absently as she looked around. Soft music was playing and some people had begun to dance. Tony was trying to get Pepper onto the dance floor, and Georgia could tell that she was protesting fervently.

"Well, it was wonderful to meet you, Captain Rogers." she said in her German accent suddenly, laying eyes on a few people who were staring at the two. She had forgotten momentarily about her guise. He gave her a confused look, and she returned it with a pleading one as she walked away.

The night progressed at a slow rate. Georgia was bored, and she tried to stay away from the other Avengers. She spotted Natasha and Clint walking around as a couple, but they were going as Natalie Rushman and Charles Burton. Natasha was wearing a black dress, typical of a S.H.I.E.L.D agent. Georgia had to admit that she was stunning alongside Clint in his tux.

Pepper also complimented Tony in a silver dress. Georgia had to smile at them. They were a cute couple, even if the man in question's purpose in life was to piss Georgia off. Georgia spoke to a few aristocrats, but all they were willing to talk about was Tony, effectively boring the raven haired woman in a matter of seconds.

Thor and Banner were the only two Avengers Georgia didn't see. Of course, Thor was back on Asgard, but Banner should have been there. She frowned and scanned the large crowd of people for him, but found nothing.

She gave up, walking to the bar for another drink. She hadn't become effectively buzzed yet, and she decided to fix that. She ordered a scotch and soda, leaning over the counter slightly as she did so.

"Excuse me." a quiet voice said from behind her. Georgia stood up, and turned to see Bruce standing behind her.

He seemed as surprised to see her as she was to see him. "Hi, Bruce." she said back, being handed her next alcoholic beverage. She figured she was allowed to talk to this specific Avenger, since she did work with him.

"Oh, hello, Georgia. I didn't recognize you." he admitted, smiling shyly. "You look wonderful." He added as an afterthought.

"So I've heard." Georgia answered dryly, sipping on her drink. "So, if you didn't recognize me, why did you come and talk to me?"

He folded and unfolded his hands in what seemed to be a nervous habit. "Tony sent me over here to ask you to dance." he said, grinning. "He said I needed to 'put myself out there' more, and insisted that I ask the 'uncommonly gorgeous woman at the bar' to dance with me. He must have known it was you."

Georgia laughed lightly, setting her scotch and soda down. "Tony's already covered the fact that I'm only attractive when I dress up in ridiculous costumes such as this." she said, her voice slightly sour.

Bruce smiled. "He sure knows how to compliment a lady." he commented sarcastically. "But anyway. We might as well give him what he wants. Would you like to dance?" He held out his hand for her.

Georgia couldn't help but smile, and blushed for a split second. She cleared her throat. "Sure." she said with a shrug, seeming indifferent. She took his hand and he led her out onto the dance floor. She had never been asked to dance before.

Wait. As that thought crossed her mind, she remembered: she had no idea how to dance. Panic flashed in her eyes as Bruce turned, placing a hand on her waist and clasping his other with his.

Georgia uncertainly placed her other hand on his shoulder. "Bruce... I don't know how to dance." she whispered, her voice sheepish. He only smiled as a slow beat of music began to play.

"This is an easy one. Just follow my lead and don't look at your feet." he advised under his breath. She nodded, taking a deep inhale as he began to lead her.

Georgia found the whole thing ridiculous, but found herself having fun. Starting off she was clumsy and stiff, but as he continued to lead her gently, she began to relax and enjoy herself.

"Where did you learn to dance?" she asked, gliding with him leading her. He shrugged.

"I've lived in a lot of different countries. I've picked things up along the way." he explained. Georgia smiled, before tripping over her own feet. She nearly cried out as she tilted to the side and almost fell.

Bruce's arms were around her, however. He steadied her with his arms, and formed the blunder into a rather attractive dip to end the song. He pulled her back up slowly, it almost seemed sensual. Georgia smiled as she stared into his eyes, which were mere inches from hers.

She cleared her throat as he slowly brought her back up into a standing position. She straightened her dress, and joined the crowd in clapping for the orchestra.

"That was fun." she admitted begrudgingly. "I'm really not much for dancing, but you made it fun."

Bruce grinned. "Glad I could be of service." he answered, starting to guide Georgia off the dance floor when Steve approached them.

"Mind if I have a dance as well?" he asked shyly, leaving behind a few women that he had been talking to. They glared daggers in Georgia's direction.

She shrugged. "Might as well. I'm all warmed up now." she said, not really wanting to dance again, but not having the willpower to say 'no' to Steve. "Thanks, Bruce."

He nodded absently, then retreated back to the bar where he ordered a club soda. Georgia followed Steve onto the floor, where a more upbeat song floated into the room. Georgia had more trouble with the rhythmic song pattern rather than the slow one she had danced with Bruce, but Steve was an even more experienced dancer than her previous partner.

The only thing was, he didn't seem to be able to find a comfortable place for his hand. Her waist was too low for his 20's mannerisms, but her back was completely bare and he didn't seem comfortable touching her bare skin. Georgia only laughed, taking his arm and holding it in place.

"You're fine, Captain." she assured him, chuckling. He blushed to the tips of his ears, but kept his hand where it was. He lead her around in rhythm with the music.

"You're good." she marveled as they danced. She was much less relaxed to this tune, and made more mistakes and blunders than in the last dance with Bruce. Steve shrugged.

"I learned these when I was younger. But I never really had anywhere to use them." he admitted, turning her around. Georgia cocked her head and was about to ask why, when Tony came up behind Steve and tapped her on the shoulder.

"May I cut in?" he asked importantly. Georgia rolled her eyes as Steve let go of her to allow Stark in. He had no problem pressing his hand on bare skin on the small of her back.

"Everyone wants a turn to embarrass me tonight, huh?" she grumbled, now allowing Stark to lead her, less than gracefully, across the floor. "Don't you people understand I don't know how to dance?"

"You seemed fine with the dashing Dr. Banner." he commented slyly, grinning.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Georgia demanded, clenching Tony's hand harder in her own in warning. He shrugged, not even noticing until her nails dug into his skin.

"Okay. Ow." he said, and Georgia relaxed her grip on his much larger hand. "It means that I half expected you guys to start making out when he dipped you." The nails were back.

"I barely know him." she hissed, glaring up at him. Even though Tony wasn't an overly tall man, and Georgia was in four inch heels, he was still a few inches taller.

"Romeo and Juliet knew each other less than twenty-four hours before they got married." Stark reminded her cheekily. Georgia glared at him.

"Don't talk to me about Shakespeare." she snapped. "That book was not, I repeat, _not_ a love story. It was a tragedy, it says so on the damn cover."

Tony shrugged. "It's all about point of view." he disagreed.

"Don't even get into this with me." Georgia hissed as the dance ended. They clapped for the orchestra once more.

Stark smirked as he led her off the dance floor to where Pepper was standing. "Want me to talk to him for you?" he mocked, putting an arm around Pepper's waist.

Georgia's eyes widened, before she narrowed them to slits at him. "We're not in middle school, _Anthony_." she snapped.

"Is that a _no_, or...?" Tony asked sarcastically. Pepper gave him an exasperated look.

"What's this about?" she demanded, looking up at her partner. He grinned down at her.

"Georgia's got a crush." he sang, kissing Pepper on the forehead. The red head turned with a surprised look on her face.

"I do not!" she snarled, before taking a moment to calm down and not make a scene. "And if you go around _telling_ people that, I swear I will shove my heeled foot so far up your pompous ass that your _nose_ will bleed!" With that, she turned on her heel and stormed to the bar to retrieve her drink.

It was right where she left it. She swallowed the rest of her scotch and soda in one gulp, immediately ordering a straight shot of Jack Daniels after it. At this point, she wasn't trying to enjoy the alcohol. She wanted to just get drunk and forget Tony's moronic ways.

She took the shot easily, always being able to hold her alcohol. She sat silently at the bar for a good twenty minutes before deciding to go outside for a walk. But as she stood up from her seat at the bar, she felt extremely... woozy for some reason. Her eyes suddenly getting tired, she braced herself on the counter.

"Ma'am, are you alright?" a voice said, but it seemed far, far away from her. Georgia's mind couldn't process the words fast enough.

This wasn't the effects of alcohol, she was sure of it. Unless she had at least three shots, she wouldn't feel this out of it.

Georgia felt her eyelids falling, suddenly very tired. She couldn't remember where she was.

Everything went dark as she felt herself falling, and landing, on the hard, unforgiving floor.

...

**Whoa. What happened to Georgia? She can usually take her alcohol very well. **

**So, a lot of Bruce/Georgie in this chapter. I just think that they're so freaking adorable. Really. And if you squint, even a little Steve/Georgia. I'm thinking of writing a partner story to this, with another OC paired with Steve. Not a hero, (wait. not a hero. NOT.) like Georgia, but a S.H.I.E.L.D agent. I would be incorporating an old favorite OC of mine. A painfully shy girl named Sarah Polk. Let me know what you'd think of that. It would probably be written **_**after**_** CB is done. But there is also the possibility of a sequel. But who knows? I don't like to plan more than a chapter ahead. **

**Also, as mentioned, Georgia **_**is**_** divorced. Can that be a complication with Bruce/Georgia? Why did she get divorced?**

**I know why. And you will too, sooner or later. It's actually really, **_**really**_** sad. **

**And yeah. I steered away from the cliche 'falling into someone's strong arms' thing. Yeah, that wouldn't happen in a million years. Sorry, guys. **

**I want to take a moment to thank all of you for reviewing and for reading! It means a lot to me that you're enjoying the story I have to tell! And thanks for making this a very successful first ten chapters! **

**Sooo, don't forget to keep those reviews a-comin'! You don't understand my joy when I read what you have to say. There are over one thousand people who have read this story. Like 1.5k or something. Yeah. I SEE YOU. I know you're reading this! You MUST have something to say, good or bad! Please, by all means, say it!**

**Love you all!**

**Jess**


	11. Chapter 11

_Circuit Breaker_

Georgia woke up, her head pounding and eyes burning as light entered her eyes. She moaned softly as she forced her eyes open, glancing around the darkened room groggily.

"How do you feel?" a soft voice asked her. Georgia lolled her head to the right and spotted Bruce reclined in the reading chair in the corner of her room.

"Dandy." she whispered sarcastically. She groaned again as her head pounded. "I blacked out. What happened?"

Bruce stood up, approaching her bed and sitting next to her on it. He gently lifted one of her wrists, taking her pulse.

"You were drugged with flunitrazepam yesterday night." he explained in a hushed tone, replacing her wrist on the bed. "You've been unconscious for almost twenty-four hours."

"Flunitrazepam? English, please." Georgia requested, trying to pull herself into a sitting position. She winced as her head began pounding harder. Bruce placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, coaxing her back down on the bed.

"Rohypnol, rufilin, or 'rufies'." Bruce clarified slowly. Georgia nodded in recognition.

"So someone tried to date rape me?" she asked quietly, placing a hand on her head.

Bruce chuckled softly. "Not exactly. What happened was... I saw you fall to the ground. Natasha and Clint suspected foul play, possibly an attack by one of S.H.I.E.L.D's enemies that had figured out your identity. They left the party, putting up a perimeter, stating that an attack on one of us is an attack on all of us." he explained. "Tony calmed down the people who had seen you fall, passing it off as too much alcohol. But since he didn't want stories of him having a drunkard engineer working for him, I told him to tell the papers that you were suffering from an electrolyte imbalance."

"Glad he's concerned for my health and safety." she mumbled, insulted. "But continue."

Bruce gave her a half- smile. "Actually, he did it more for your reputation. He's been in here a lot checking on you." he told her, and she instantly felt a bit guilty. "Anyway, we initially thought it was just too much alcohol. Steve helped us get you to Tony's car, and we brought you home. Tony and Steve returned to the benefit, against Steve's protests, but I decided to stay behind and keep an eye on you. When you didn't wake up this morning, I did a few blood tests and found an astounding amount if rufilin in your system. And here we are."

Georgia couldn't help but feel a pang in her heart when Bruce called it 'home', that he brought her 'home'. "Any other bad news you need to tell me?" she asked.

Bruce gave her a sheepish look. "I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the speculation that you are... who you are is rising. People heard you talking without your added German accent, and a story in the Island Star shows a picture of you and Cap talking as well as one of you two dancing." he said. "The headline is 'New Friends or Old Teammates?'."

Georgia cringed. "I knew the benefit would be a bad idea." she said, and hissed as another wave of pain floated through her head.

Bruce immediately placed a cool hand on her forehead. "You don't have a fever." he said quickly. "But you may have a slight concussion from when you fell to the ground."

"Anything else bad happen? Maybe the world's about to end? Zombie apocalypse? Second alien invasion of the week?" she demanded, though the fire in her voice was diluted by pain.

Bruce laughed softly, standing from the bed. "Not that I know of, but I'll keep you posted." he promised with a smile. "I'll let you get some rest now. Let me know if you need anything."

Georgia nodded absently. She tried to sit up again, but her head protested at the change of altitude. Bruce smiled as he gently coaxed her back down again, like he would a small child.

He headed for the door, it was about to close when Georgia called his name quietly.

"Yes?" he answered, opening it up a crack. Georgia bit her lip as their eyes met from across the room.

"Thank you." she said finally. He nodded absently in response, closing the door and leaving Georgia to herself.

...

_The Next Day_

Georgia found it almost impossible to sleep that night. She was much too worried about her identity being revealed and about who had drugged her and for what reason.

She had figured out how she'd gotten the drug into her system; she had gone back to her scotch and soda that had sat unattended whilst she danced with Bruce, Steve, and Tony. Somebody had to be watching her to know what drink was hers, and when she was being distracted.

But something else was also crossing her mind. Bruce. He had been there for her, and even stayed home from the party to make sure that she was okay. Of course, he didn't seem too thrilled to be there in the first place, but the fact that he cared about her made warmth spread throughout her entire body.

"No." she told herself firmly as she rose out of bed, ignoring the protests from her throbbing head. "Tony wasn't right. You and Bruce barely know each other. There's nothing between us."

She trudged to her closet, dressing in a tight black skirt and a deep purple blouse for work. She pulled back her hair in a loose braid for the day, putting on a pair of black work heels before walking out the door. Whether she was in pain or not, it was Monday and she was going to work.

Exiting her room, she found Tony dressed for work as well. He and Bruce were talking. They looked up as she entered the room.

"Georgia, you know you don't have to work today." Tony said, his voice amused. Georgia was not in the mood for his company at all today, and she glowered at him.

"Too bad." she snapped, and having nothing else to say to him, she headed for the elevator and pressed the key for her lab floor. She pressed the 'close door' button, so she could ride down alone, but a hand shot through the slot at the last moment, keeping it from closing.

"We'll ride down with you." Tony said cheerfully, making Georgia's head pound harder. He pressed the button for his office's floor. "Why don't we have lunch today, to cheer you up?"

"_Fick dich_." Georgia mumbled in German, keeping her glare trained on the floor.

"I'll take that as a no?" Tony laughed, though he had no idea what she said, he was sure it wasn't pleasant.

"How are you feeling, Georgia?" Bruce's kind voice asked carefully, not wanting to upset Georgia further.

"I'm feeling better." she answered, her voice merely quiet and lacking the anger it held for Tony. She wasn't mad at Bruce for anything. She owed him, actually. It was Tony she was pissed at. "Thank you, again, for taking care of me. Hospitals freak me out, anyway."

"It was my pleasure." Bruce said shyly, smiling down at her.

"You're nice to him!" Tony protested in a slightly whiny voice, but when Georgia looked over to glare at him, he had a suggestive smile on his face.

"He didn't get me drugged." she snapped shortly, pursing her lips at him.

"Not necessarily..." Tony started with a sly smile. "Because I think that his love is your dru-"

"_Grow up!" _Georgia shouted, effectively allowing her less than terrible headache to kick back into full-force migraine. But the outburst cut Tony off and kept him from finishing his sentence. He only snickered at her outburst.

The door to her floor dinged and she marched out of the elevator with her hands balled up into fists. She fumbled with her keycard and lock code, giving Banner enough time to meet up with her.

"What was that about?" he asked quietly. Georgia sighed as she finally remembered her lock code, opening the door. He followed her in.

"Tony has some absurd notion that we're all in high school again and that you and I are 'crushing' on each other." she explained, laughing shortly at the end. "Just because we danced. As friends."

Banner looked uncomfortable. "I'm sorry." Georgia quickly apologized. "I didn't mean to make you upset."

Bruce shook his head. "No, it's just that you're not the only one he's been harassing about that." he confided, leaning against Georgia's desk where she took a seat, typing in the password to her computer quickly.

"Oh?" she asked, rubbing her forehead.

"Yeah..." Banner said, leaving off before clearing his throat. Georgia didn't push him for details. "Does your head still hurt that bad?"

Georgia shrugged. "It's bearable." she insisted passively. Bruce looked concerned.

"I'd be more comfortable if you'd let me check for signs of a concussion." he insisted quietly. Georgia sighed.

"If you think it's necessary. Fine." she conceded, following him into his own lab space.

"Sit up on the counter over there." he told her, and she followed his instruction. They were now eye to eye. He brought over a small light.

"I'm just going to check your eyes." he explained, clicking on the light. He shined in one eye, watching the pupil constrict. Georgia's eyes turned to slits, however, and she turned away automatically.

"It hurts." she said quietly, turning back to him. Bruce smiled sympathetically as he moved to the other eye, this time, she squinted and turned before he even had time to look at her.

"Sorry." she mumbled, turning back to face him again. "It's automatic, I'm not meaning to. It's the headache."

Bruce nodded in understanding. He placed his hand on the side of her cheek and neck softly, to keep her from turning as he inspected her other eye. Georgia kept her eye open as best as she could until Banner turned off the light.

"Your eyes are normal." he announced. "Unless you have issues with vision or unnatural incoordination, I don't think you have a concussion."

Georgia nodded. "Thanks a lot." she said with a slightly shy smile, feeling her headache begin to ebb. He smiled back, his also a bit bashful as he realized that his hand was still positioned on her cheek. He cleared his throat and removed it, placing it, instead, in his pocket.

Their eyes met, inches from each other once more, but this time they were completely alone. They were silent, neither knowing exactly what to do next.

A thought crossed Georgia's mind for a split second, and her migraine-jumbled brain didn't have time to full process the action before it happened.

She leaned forward slightly, brushing Bruce's lips with hers in a sweet, chaste kiss.

His hand returned, his thumb brushing over her cheek lightly. It only lasted a second before Georgia opened her eyes, realizing what she was doing.

An awkward silence filled the air as they continued to stare at each other. Georgia could think of nothing to say.

"I..." she whispered, her voice regretful. "I... have to go pick up the reports." With that, she fairly raced out of Banner's lab and mashed the elevator button a dozen times before hiding herself within, Bruce's eyes on her the whole time.

Georgia could barely process what she had done, and only stared blankly at her reflection as the elevator brought her up to the general labs.

...

**Translation: 'Fick dich' in German basically means 'Why don't you go fuck yourself', as far as my knowledge goes. **

**Fucking adorable. I know. I like awe'd the whole time. **

**This whole chapter is basically 'Geuce' centric. Because they needed to have their first kiss already.**

**What will transpire for the two star-cross'd lovers?**

**Just kidding. Romeo and Juliet sucks. **

**So let me know how you feel about this chapter!**

**Oh, and a shout out to my reviewer, Scruffy-Nerf-Herder, who is the author of one of my FAVORITE Bruce/OC writers on this site, Which Me Do You Like, and it's sequel Ever Present Past. I love your work, and it's an honor to have you read mine! If any of my readers haven't read that yet, I highly, highly recommend it. **

**So, don't forget to review, everybody! And thanks for getting me to 65 reviews! Love it! Keep 'em coming!**

**Love you all! **

**Jess**


	12. Chapter 12

_Circuit Breaker_

Georgia woke up the next day, completely ashamed of herself. She had kissed Bruce. That wasn't okay. They were teammates, co-workers, and friends. She didn't want to risk their friendship over a few... unaccounted for emotions that Georgia was feeling towards the quiet doctor.

"But he kissed you back." she mumbled to herself as she stepped under the spray of her shower. And that was true, Bruce had responded to her kiss. He hadn't rejected her in any sense of the word... yet she just ran out on him.

"It's for the best." she told herself as she stepped out of the shower, drying off and dressing. She blow dried her hair rapidly before putting it up in a tight ponytail. "I'm going to just walk out there, and act like nothing happened."

Georgia had twenty minutes before work, so she had time to eat and watch some television. She put on a pair of white heels to match her white dress, and started out of the room with a confident stride.

As soon as she caught sight of Bruce's back, however, she lost her nerve, ducking back into her room. As soon as she heard Bruce leave to go down to his lab, she exited her room, checking the area for him.

"Skipping breakfast one day won't kill me..." she told herself, walking to the elevator. Today, she decided to work with the other engineers under Tony's employment. It would be a fresh start, to hear what their input on the clean energy crisis was.

And that's what she told herself for the rest of the week. Every day when she got up, she waited until she heard Bruce go down to work. She skipped breakfast, and sometimes even lunch, in an unconscious effort to evade him at all costs. She didn't even work in her own lab in fear that he would approach her about the incident.

She was successful in her evasion endeavor until Saturday

She forced herself to sleep later than usual that day, just to continue to stay away from Bruce. She got out of bed around noon, which was uncommonly late for her. She got ready for the day, wearing a pair of jean shorts and a Yale t-shirt from her old days in college.

Georgia walked out of her room to find Tony and Pepper kissing in the kitchen.

"Hey. Get a room." she said, her voice was strict but she smiled at Pepper.

"I believe this whole penthouse is my room." Tony reminded her, pecking Pepper's forehead. "Even your room is my room, and if I so wish it, I will kiss my gorgeous Pepper in your room and tell _you_ to get a room."

Georgia rolled her eyes and pushed him out of the way to get to the fridge.

"That room is my room too." Tony mumbled, leaning against the counter. Georgia leaned inside, not finding anything she particularly wanted.

"Hey Pepper, want to go get some lunch?" she asked, closing the door.

The woman in question shrugged. "Sure." she answered.

"Uh, hello?" Tony said as they started to walk to the elevator. "Maybe I want some lunch? Anyone ever think of asking the man that signs your paychecks if he wants lunch?"

Pepper sighed dramatically. "Do you want lunch, Tony?" she asked from where they were standing, a teasing smile on her lips. Georgia frowned, but she wasn't as irritated with Tony about the benefit anymore. Though there was still a good amount of speculation, she wasn't on the front page of newspapers or even on the news anymore. She supposed that she could try and be civil. There was no real proof that she was 'Ms. Watts', anyway. Yet.

"Yes, I do in fact want some lunch." he answered with a grin. Georgia rolled her eyes at him.

"I hope you realize that you're paying if you're tagging along, right?" she said, putting on a pair of sandals near the elevator.

Tony shrugged. "Money's not an issue." he said, is voice lax. "By the way, we should invite one anti-social doctor to join us today. Make this a double date, huh?" He leaned on the elevator, grinning at Georgia as they waited for it to rise.

She glared at him, and, feeling the elevator arrive before anyone else did, manipulated the door to open faster than normal. Tony lost his balance without the structure he was leaning on, and fell in.

Pepper laughed entering the elevator to help Tony up. "Sure, we can invite Bruce." Georgia said finally, pressing the button for the labs. Her face and voice gave away nothing but indifference, but on the inside? Her heart was pounding, and her stomach rolled. Usually, these things didn't bother her. It was a 'whatever' situation. But for some reason... this time, it was different.

No, that was a lie. Georgia hadn't had 'these things' happen since her ex husband was in the picture. And that was three years ago. But she never had any problems like this with Reed. It was all so easy, so simple. They loved each other the day they met at Yale. Well, not exactly. But they did start dating a week after they met, and got married three years later, when Georgia was twenty-three and had just finished college. He even moved to Germany with her. They only lasted three years until...

The elevator opened, waking Georgia from her thoughts of the past.

"Go get him, Georgie." Tony's irritatingly smug voice said from behind her. Sometimes, he sounded exactly like Reed used to. She gave him a sideways look of irritation before taking a deep breath and walking to the lab where Banner sat, hunched over his work.

"Hey, Bruce?" she said from the door, trying her hardest to keep her voice light and aloof. However, as soon as he turned to face her, his face adorned with a questioning look... her feigned confidence was shattered.

"Uh... we're all going to get some lunch. Interested in joining us?" she stammered, not sure if the indifference she was trying to convey was winning or failing. She mentally kicked herself.

Bruce shrugged. "Sure." he said, standing up. He was completely at ease. It unnerved Georgia. How could he be so calm, cool, and collected, when she was a mess over a simple kiss? Was she overthinking the whole thing?

She gave a flicker of a smile before retreating back to where Tony and Pepper were holding the door impatiently. Or rather, Tony was the impatient one.

"Geez, that took a long time. You guys have a quickie in the lab? Rattled a few desk drawers?" Tony asked, and Georgia was immensely grateful to whatever deity was watching over her that Bruce was still out of earshot.

"Not today." she hissed at Tony, shocking him on the shoulder with a rather large amount of her electricity. He jumped, but only snickered in response. Bruce entered the elevator, and it took them down to the ground floor where Tony's latest car model was waiting. Again, Georgia thanked that deity that this car was big enough for four people, albeit it only had two doors and the back was barely large enough for two people to squeeze in.

Her deity must have decided to leave her to her own defenses at that point, however, because Tony insisted that Pepper sit up front with him and that Bruce and Georgia should be the two to squeeze into the back of the tiny, hot blue vehicle.

Georgia kept herself as far away from Bruce as the space in the back allowed as they were driven, at illegal speeds, to an unknown destination. When they arrived, it was a rather fancy German restaurant, much to Georgia's amusement.

"I've never had German food in America." she commented as they had the car taken by valet and entered the restaurant. She tried to stick close to Pepper, but felt awkward once Tony's hand snaked around her waist as they walked. She was forced to resign to walking next to Bruce, which made her feel even more awkward.

"Welcome. Do you have a reservation?" the host asked in a thick German accent.

"I'm Tony Stark." the narcissistic man said, with a self-absorbed grin. Georgia rolled her eyes at the scene, but was rather pleased that they didn't have to wait for a table. They were immediately sat, and a waitress greeted them.

She regarded both Tony and Bruce with flirtatious eyes. Georgia saw Pepper's eyes heat up at the sight, but she said nothing.

"My name is Anke, and I shall be serving you today." she said in an even thicker German accent than the host. As she spoke, she still eyed the men. "What can I get you?"

"Your finest bottle of wine." Tony said, glancing up at her with an uninterested smile. Georgia cocked her head in curiosity. She had heard so many stories about Tony's womanizer ways. Was he really that loyal to Pepper? Georgia almost couldn't believe it.

"Of course." Anke said, smiling. She touched both Tony's and Bruce's shoulders as she passed them. Georgia narrowed her eyes at the younger woman, looking over the menu.

"It's all in German." Pepper pointed out, unable to read any of the script. "Can you just order for me, Georgia?"

The black haired woman nodded. "No problem. What do you like?" she asked, looking at all the entrees. As they discussed food, Anke had returned with their bottle of wine, pouring each person a drink.

She smiled as she reached for Bruce's glass, but he stopped her.

"None for me, thanks. I'll just have water." he told her, giving her the same uninterested look as Tony had. Unperturbed, Anke gave him a thousand watt smile and nod, while moving to Georgia's glass.

The meal continued with Georgia and Bruce silent to one another, and Pepper and Tony carrying the conversation. Georgia tried her hardest to keep the conversation from insisting that she speak directly to Bruce.

Anke returned a few minutes later, asking for orders.

Georgia ordered for herself and Pepper, in German. The waitress seemed surprised by Georgia's perfect German, going as far to ask where she had learned to speak it.

"I studied it all through high school and college, then lived there for four years." she said shortly, using her German accent, just in case.

Anke 'hmm'd in an uninterested tone. "Anything you gentlemen see that you like?" she asked. The statement was too forward to be considered a coincidence. She was literally asking for Georgia to fry her to a crisp. She could tell that Pepper was trying to with her eyes, but lacked the means that Georgia possessed.

After they had all ordered, Georgia merely listened to the conversation. She wasn't in a conversing mood, but put her thoughts in every now and again until their food came.

Anke set the plates down in front of each person, bending over much more than needed when she was giving her food to Bruce, and then to Tony. She smiled at Tony, her face inches from his as she set his plate.

"Let me know if there's _anything_ else I can do for you." she said, almost into the man's _ear_ for Christ's sake!

"Okay. That's enough!" Georgia spat in her direction, scowling at the younger girl. This had gone far enough, and Georgia intended to stop it in its tracks before the girl started _stripping_ for them.

"_Ich weiß nicht, ob Sie es bemerkt haben, aber er hat ein Mädchen, das zweimal ist die Schönheit der Ihnen neben ihm saß. Er hat nicht die Absicht, auch nur anzusehen Sie zweimal. Ich hoffe, Sie von dieser Erfahrung profitieren._" she hissed in rapid German. "_Gehen Sie weg jetzt._" She kept it about Tony, though subconsciously, it was about Bruce as well. Her behavior with Tony right now was a lot like how she had acted when giving Bruce his food.

The girl glared at Georgia as she straightened up. She gave a huff as she started to walk away.

"_Oh, habe ich deine Gefühle verletzt?_" Georgia mocked as she stomped away. She only grinned, and started to dig into her food as if nothing had happened.

"What did you _say_ to her?" Pepper asked, guessing that her rant wasn't full of compliments.

Georgia told her in between bites of food. "So I basically told her to fuck off." she concluded, sipping her wine.

Pepper's face broke out into a grin. "You didn't have to do that." she said, embarrassed at the indirect compliment that Georgia had paid her in her rant.

The raven haired woman laughed. "Pep, you looked like you were about to shoot damn lasers out of your eyes at her." she said with a wink. Pepper blushed as Tony grinned.

"Was my Pepper jealous?" he teased, bringing her hand to his lips and kissing it. Pepper snatched her hand away with a smirk.

"Of her? Nah. Of her bra size? Yeah, kinda." she admitted. Tony only laughed.

"It was no problem, anyway. The girls in Germany are even sluttier. I remember having to fight them off from Reed..." Georgia started, and abruptly stopped as she mentioned her ex husband's name. She stopped talking then, staring down at her plate.

"Who's Reed?" Tony asked, curious though he had a good idea of who he was. Georgia wouldn't look at him.

"Reed was my husband." she admitted, trying to keep her voice as calm as possible. The table was silent and everyone was staring at her, waiting for her to continue.

"But that was a long time ago, and I'd rather not go into that right now." she said rapidly, stuffing her mouth full to keep herself from revealing anymore about her former husband. She had given them a name, which means she had given him life in their eyes. He wasn't just 'her ex husband' anymore, he was a real person with a name now. That was something she wanted to keep from happening.

"The moral of the story is that German girls are slutty." Georgia continued, trying to veer the conversation away from Reed. She had thought about him too much in one day. She eyed Anke from across the room with narrowed eyes. The waitress kept her distance, but spared the technopath a glare back.

The rest of the dinner was spent with Georgia in thought and the conversation skirting around her. She didn't mind, though. As they left, Georgia complained in rapid German to the manager about Anke as they passed. He promised to have a talk with her.

The ride home was spent with Georgia silent, as well. She kept her eyes staring out the window and body angled away from Bruce. She didn't notice Tony's worried expression glancing at her in the rear-view mirror every few seconds.

...

**Translations: **

**Ich weiß nicht, ob Sie es bemerkt haben, aber er hat ein Mädchen, das zweimal ist die Schönheit der Ihnen neben ihm saß. Er hat nicht die Absicht, auch nur anzusehen Sie zweimal. Ich hoffe, Sie von dieser Erfahrung profitieren - I do not know if you have noticed, but he has a girl that is twice the beauty of you sitting next to him. He has no intentions of even looking at you twice. I hope you benefit from this experience.**

**Gehen Sie weg jetzt - Walk away now**

**Oh, habe ich deine Gefühle verletzt? - Oh, did I hurt your feelings?**

...

**Ah! So sorry I missed an update yesterday! I was really busy with work and then I went to a party and BLAH. Not enough hours in the day.**

**This chapter does have some relevance, I promise! I loved writing it. I wanted to see what Georgia would do in the situation where Bruce was being hit on by a slutty girl. And Tony, of course. She tried to pass it off as just Tony, but it applied to Bruce as well. Sneaky girl.**

**It's a big struggle for Georgia, because of her former husband. She feels guilty and lost, having feelings for a new man. **

**Did you think that Georgia would react this way? To ignore Bruce completely because of her shame? Or did you thnik she'd immediately start to like him more and more? Just curious. Oh, and that reminds me. Who do you think would play Georgia in a film adaptation of Avengers including her? I'm just wondering, cause I was thinking about that today and I couldn't think of a single actress. Maybe a younger Angelina Jolie? She's only like 37, but Georgia's 29. I feel like Angelina could be sarcastic as hell, like Georgia, as shown in Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Salt, etc. Let me know what you think!**

**Next chapter will concern a heart to heart. Whose hearts? Not gonna tell. You'll find out. Any guesses?**

**So thanks again for all your reviews! 76! Wow! Thanks so much! You have no idea how much I appreciate them!**

**So don't forget to keep all those reviews coming! And any ideas as well!**

**Love to all!**

**Jess**


	13. Chapter 13

_Circuit Breaker_

Georgia spent the rest of the next day in solitude. She even hid from Pepper and Tony, now worried that they'd ask questions about Reed. She felt so alone, not being able to talk to anybody. They would judge her. Especially Tony, she was sure.

When she finally mustered up enough energy and courage, she walked out of her bedroom, hair a mess, and got a soda from the fridge. She sat on the couch, sliding down far enough so that she couldn't be seen from behind.

She turned on the television, flipping to VH1 to watch the 100 Top 80's Videos of All Time. The song Jessie's Girl was playing. Georgia had to smile, and though the song came out the year before she was born she heard it a lot throughout her childhood.

As she watched the music videos with some light remembrance of when some of the later songs came out, she didn't hear someone coming to sit next to her.

It was Tony. He vaulted over the back of the couch. Georgia glanced at him briefly before returning her eyes to the TV.

"Hey Georgia." he said pleasantly, settling himself into the couch next to her. He regarded the television. "I didn't know you liked 80's music."

"I was born in the 80's, Anthony." she said, her voice tired.

"Right, but I always viewed you as a 'Belieber' or a 'Directioner'." Tony teased with a smirk. Georgia raised an eyebrow at him.

"I'm twenty nine. Just because I don't particularly like AC/DC or Van Halen like you do doesn't mean I don't know good music." she corrected, her voice still only just above a monotone.

Tony shrugged. "Fair enough." he said, letting her concentrate on her show for a few minutes. He suddenly turned to her, coming closer ans scrutinizing her face.

"What's wrong with you?" he demanded.

Georgia gave him a bewildered look. "Excuse me?" she asked, compleely taken aback.

"You heard me. There's something off about you. You haven't insulted me with one of your saucy one-liners in like a week, nor have you really gotten pissed besides yesterday at the restaurant." he explained, still studying her face. "Not that I'm really complaining... wait, yes I am. You're not being 'Georgia' anymore."

The girl in question shrugged. "So you want me to be mean to you?" she asked in disbelief.

"Yes!" Tony insisted. "Be mean, call me a dumbass, anything besides this. You're bland. Like toast. No jam, no butter, just dry toast."

"That's from My Big Fat Greek Wedding." Georgia reminded him, rolling her eyes.

"There! A roll of the eyes! Progress!" Tony said suddenly. Georgia turned away from him, back to the TV. But Tony wasn't having that.

"Seriously. What's wrong?" he asked, his voice taking on a more worried tone. "We've barely seen you in days, you haven't been in your lab, and Pepper's been worried about you. The lunch yesterday is the only thing that kept her from thinking that you were having a complete mental breakdown!"

Georgia just stared at him. "Nothing's wrong." she insisted.

"Is it about you and Banner kissing?" he asked, and grinned when Georgia whipped around to face him, an alarmed look plastered on her face.

"Ah ha!" Tony said triumphantly, crossing his arms.

"How do you know about that?" Georgia hissed under the sound of Billy Joel's Uptown Girl.

Tony shrugged. "Jarvis can see everything. So, in extension, I can see everything." he told her easily.

"Thanks Jarvis." she mumbled to he AI.

"Quite sorry, ma'am. As my programmer, he forced me to show him." Jarvis' voice said from the room.

"So. You and the doctor. I was right." Tony said happily. "Are you two, like, secretly dating now? Is that why you've been detached and basically in hiding?"

"No." Georgia snapped, looking away. "And you're not right. It was just a kiss, Tony. You've kissed plenty of woman. Hell, you've had sex with plenty of woman. You're not in relationships with them, are you?"

Tony shrugged again. "No, but they didn't mean anything to me." he said. "Bruce means something to you, I can tell. And you mean something to him. He cares about you, Georgia, and you're pushing him away."

"It's for the best." Georgia growled. "I can't do it again, I don't deserve it."

Tony cocked his head. "Why? Because of your ex husband?" he asked, his voice getting softer.

Georgia wouldn't say anything.

"Listen, whatever that asshole did to you, I'll track him down and kick his ass ten times as hard." Tony said, his voice earnest. Georgia was surprised that he cared enough to say that. "And I'm serious. I'll find the bastard."

"It's not what he did to me." Georgia whispered. "It's what I did to him."

Tony gave her a bemused look. "Did you divorce him?" he asked. "You can tell me."

Georgia was silent, feeling tears come to her eyes. She hadn't told anybody. Not one person. Nobody knew what she had done to Reed Bennet while they were married. Three years had passed since, and she had held it all in for so long. She had to tell somebody.

"I killed him." she said, her voice so low Tony could barely hear her over the TV. He stared at her, his face masked with shock.

"Not on purpose." she continued, tears beginning to fall down her pale face. "Never on purpose. I loved him more than I can explain to you in words. He was my first and only. If I believed in soulmates or love at first sight, he would be the example I'd give."

Tony scooted closer to her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. Georgia gave in to her grief, leaning onto his chest and allowing her tears to fall freely.

"Remember when Cap almost touched me when I was working on the helicarrier? And I freaked out?" she asked slowly, turning her head to look up at him. "How do you think I knew that touching me would kill him?"

Tony began to understand what Georgia was getting at. "I didn't know." she continued, remembering the night like it was yesterday. "I was working with my powers in our basement... completely absorbed with what I was doing. I knew he was there, but, of course, I didn't know. He was teasing me about being a 'techno freak', he knew about my powers, and that I needed to come upstairs for dinner. I wasn't listening... and he touched me on my shoulder. All my electricity flowed into him... killing him instantly."

She began to sob uncontrollably. "I didn't mean to, Tony. I didn't mean to." she chanted, wrapping her arms around him. She couldn't help it, this was the first time she had told anybody. So many nights had been spent with her chanting those very words to herself, alone in bed.

Tony smoothed her hair, shocked to have the strong and collected Georgia sobbing in his arms. "I called an ambulance, but he had been d-dead long before they arrived. They asked me what h-happened, and I told them that he had wet hands when un-unplugging a lamp and he had been electrocuted that way. Of course, the voltage fr-from my body was much more powerful than that of a l-lamp, but what else could I tell them? That I could emit electricity? I couldn't tell them that, I didn't want that type of p-publicity." she explained, shaking uncontrollably.

She took a deep breath and continued, her breathing was becoming labored and choppy from her hysterics. "I always wondered why they didn't investigate it more... but Nick Fury later told me that S.H.I.E.L.D had helped cover for me... to keep my identity safe. That was the first time he asked me to come work for them. I couldn't do it. I couldn't embrace my powers that had _killed_ my husband. But when he asked me to help with Loki... I felt too guilty. His organization had helped me too greatly. It was part of the reason I agreed to help." she finished.

Tony couldn't think of anything to say, so he just held her as her friend. After a while, Georgia sat up, wiping her eyes. "You remind me of him." she admitted.

"Is that why you hate me?" Tony asked, giving her a small grin.

"No. I hate you because you're an ass." Georgia corrected with a snort, still trying to make her tears stop. "But that's why I can't... like Bruce. I can't do that to Reed. I killed him. I deserve to be alone, repenting."

Tony shook his head. "This guy sounds like he really loved you." he started, trying to catch Georgia's eyes with his own. "Why would he want you to be alone?"

"Because I don't deserve anything more than that." she insisted.

"Listen. You deserve to be happy again. I'm getting the vibe that this has been haunting you for years. If you truly loved him and he returned it, he's already forgiven you a billion times over." Tony told her. "I mean, you say he's like me. If was in his situation right now, I'd be _telling_ you to go get some action from Bruce. And to stop torturing yourself, already. You're getting wrinkles."

Georgia suddenly laughed. "He told me that whenever I would overthink my projects at work." she admitted softly. "That I was getting wrinkles."

"See? We're practically twins." Tony teased, wrapping his arm around her again. "But seriously. Lighten up. I'm not saying to forget about him, but you need to let go of some of that guilt. It's not going to help anything if you keep the mindset that you suck and you don't deserve anything better than sucking." Tony's mind wandered to his father momentarily before returning back to Georgia's problem.

Georgia frowned. "You're saying that I should try to start something with Bruce?" she asked.

Tony shrugged. "Well I think you two have chemistry... get it? Chemistry? He's a physicist? I'm hilarious." he joked, laughing. "But honestly, do what you want. Just don't torture yourself for having the hots for somebody."

Georgia smiled. "Thanks, Tony." she said, earnestly. "But I've... never told anybody any of that. So, uh... don't open your fucking mouth about it. That goes double for you, Jarvis."

"Of course, Miss. McGuiness." Jarvis answered.

"There's the charmingly snarky Georgia I know." Tony said with a grin. She smiled slightly.

"Thanks for listening to me, Tony. Sorry I almost shorted out your arc reactor with my tears..." she said, eyeing the rather large wet stain on the front of Tony's Aerosmith shirt. He shrugged.

"I still hate you though." she continued, standing up and starting to turn to head back to her room. She needed to do some thinking. "You're still a dumbass."

"Fair enough." Tony answered as she began walking away. The song Take On Me by a-ha started playing.

As Georgia turned around, she saw Bruce walking into the room from the elevator. She stopped dead in her tracks as their eyes met with the music playing in the background.

_So needless to say... I'm odds and ends, I'll be stumbling away. Slowly learning that life is OK. Say after me. It's no better to be safe than sorry._

Georgia gave him a half smile as she began walking again, their eyes still met as both of them moved. Neither of them said a word as they neared each other.

_Oh the things that you say... Is it live, or just to play my worries away. You're all the things I've got to remember. You're shying away. I'll be coming for you anyway_

They were almost face to face when Georgia's mind flashed back to Reed, her guilt, and what she had done. The small smile faltered from her face, and she took a quick turn to the right, entering the hallway where her room was, disappearing inside and shutting the door. Bruce looked after her, but resigned to his own room as well.

...

_Bruce_

Bruce was never good with women, he never had been. Betty was the last girl he'd loved, and that was something he didn't want to think about.

Now Georgia was in the picture. Beautiful, intelligent, confident, and sarcastic. Her sarcasm was his favorite part about her.

Bruce enjoyed their casual friendship, he really did. But as he got to know her and spent a bit more time with her, he realized how he cared for her as more than just a friend. He began viewing her in different eyes, noticing how she smiled and her eyes glinted when she was about to make a sarcastic comment or the way she regarded him when they were alone together.

He couldn't help but develop feelings for her. Yes. Bruce Banner liked a girl. Damn Tony if he ever found out, the teasing would be merciless and undoubtedly extremely embarrassing.

He had been meaning to kiss her by the time she took the initiative to do so herself. She didn't need to be checked for a concussion as direly as Bruce made it out to be. It was more of an excuse to get her alone with him. He wasn't expecting her to react as she did.

He tried to blame himself, but couldn't find a plausible reason to. She had kissed him on her own terms, and yes. He had enjoyed it very much. But he found as the week wore on, that Georgia was actively avoiding him. His heart sank lower and lower as he realized that she probably regretted the action.

The lunch was painful for Bruce. He was forced to sit in the back of the vehicle with her. No, 'forced' is the wrong word. He was fine to sit next to her, but she seemed like she wanted to get as far away from him as possible. Hope was restored to him as he saw the daggers Georgia was mentally throwing at the waitress when she touched him, but besides that she seemed indifferent and even a bit resentful of him.

He had intended to go and speak with her about the ordeal the next day, to figure out where they were and to renew their friendship. Only friendship, if need be. He found her with Tony, and she showed signs of crying. An 80's song that Bruce couldn't remember the name to was playing as he met her eyes with him. She gave him a weak smile, and was approaching him.

But as they neared, a shadow passed over her face, and the smile flickered before it was gone. She retreated quickly before he could say anything to her. And as she closed he door to her room, he entered his own sanctum in despair. She thought him a monster.

...

**Neverland123: I definitely can see Jennifer Connelly! But Zoey Deschanel is a big stretch for me, because I watch New Girl and she's way too innocent and sweet, haha. But I love her in general. Thanks for your ideas!**

**AccioLexi: Well, I don't speak German and I did use for those sentences, so they're probably wrong, you're right! I only speak English (obviously...) and I'm working on becoming fluent in French. I'll definitely be using Tony's knowledge in French at some point. (As shown in Iron Man 2. I squealed when I watched it for the first time a few days ago, and I was like OMG I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE SAYING WITHOUT THE SUBTITLES! I'm nerdy, I know.) Thanks for reviewing once more!**

**Telekenetic in the sea: Nope! Reed Bennet is a completely made up character, I assure you. But that's an interesting concept. Thanks for your review!:)**

**Guest (the review between WulfLuvr22 and Phoenixstar7): I hope you enjoyed the little bit of insight on how Bruce is feeling, then. I live to please my readers, that's dedicated to you, bro! Thanks for reviewing!**

**At the mention of 80's music... I started blasting some as I wrote this. It's my favorite generation of music. Even surpassing my generation's music. My dad's a DJ, so I grew up with it blasting around my house. My favorite song may have to be Take On Me by a-ha, so I HAD to use it in this chapter. **

**Speaking of 80's stuff... Patrick Swayze in Dirty Dancing? Best damn thing. RIP to him, man. **

**So this is a really sad chapter. I cried while writing it, like full out sobbed. I knew what happened to Reed, of course. But having Georgia admit it to Tony like that like destroyed me. And Bruce believing that Georgia thinks he's a monster, because of her shying away from him? Well, he IS The Hulk, you can't blame him for that being the first thought to come to his head. **

**So Georgia and Tony do care about each other in a friend level, they do! But that doesn't stop him from irritating Georgia. I mean... just because they're more open to their friendship now that she sobbed into his chest doesn't mean they don't still irritate each other. **

**Next chapter, Bruce and Georgia confront each other! Will it go as you think it will? Will it go as I PLAN it to go? Probably not either. But it shall be epic either way. The way I have it going is adorable. I promise.**

**So again, thanks for all your love and support! I will always squeal when I check the reviews and see even more than the last time I checked, plus the added bonus of a LOT of visitors to each chapter! Thanks so much! Don't forget to drop a review or PM so I can get to know all of my readers more! I'd love to answer any questions you have! (As long as they don't spoil the story, of course!)**

**Love and blessings, love and blessings!**

**Jess**


	14. Chapter 14

_Circuit Breaker_

The next day, Monday, Georgia started acting normally again. She got up in the morning, the time she would usually get up, and got ready for work. Today, she decided on a flattering yellow top with a black skirt and heels. She curled her hair for the first time in a long while.

Her appearance must have signaled that she was feeling a lot better, because Tony gave her a satisfied grin as she exited her room, her heels clicking. Banner was seated at the counter, as usual.

"Well somebody looks gorgeous today." Tony said with a wink. Georgia rolled her eyes at him.

"Pepper better be in here somewhere." she snapped, though it was accompanied with a smirk.

"What she doesn't know won't hurt her." he teased, grinning. Georgia gave him a pointed look as she opened the fridge, taking out a yogurt.

"Want anything, Bruce?" she asked turning to him. He looked surprised that she was talking to him again.

"Uh, no. Thanks." he stammered, going back to his coffee and paper. Georgia shrugged, grabbing a spoon and a cup of coffee. She had decided what she was going to do last night.

She was going to talk to Bruce. Make him understand that she was sorry for the mistake she made by kissing him. She had come to the conclusion the night before that nobody could want to be with someone as damaged as her. So she would simply ask to be friends again.

Easy, right?

"I'm heading down early, guys." she said, pressing the button on the elevator. She got in, eating her yogurt, and waited until she arrived on her floor.

Her lab was just as she left it, and as she opened the door she felt more at home than she had felt all week. She sighed contently as she typed in her passwords and started working on her project.

She spent the whole work day in her element, working with some of the prototypes that she had come up with. So far, either no dice or the device would prove to not be able to power even a lamp for more than five minutes before burning out.

It was frustrating work for Georgia. Back in Germany, she was the best. Though she pretended otherwise, watering down her skills so she could stay on the 'down low'. She could figure everything out with little to no prolonged effort. With this project, it was almost impossible for her to find a suitable clean, self-sustaining power source that could power Stark Towers for a long period of time.

Officially burnt out for the night, she decided to close up shop and head back upstairs. The time on her computer read 10:21. She had worked five hours later than usual, and she hadn't even noticed. She even skipped lunch and dinner. Time seemed to move faster when she was using her abilities.

Running a hand through her hair, she stood up, turning for the door... when she realized something. She had promised herself that she would speak to Bruce today, and get all the mess straightened out. She was determined to stay friends with him.

She took a deep breath as she walked down the short hallway to Bruce's lab. He was sitting at his desk, sifting through files on his computer. She knocked lightly on the glass door before swiping her card and entering the code, stepping inside.

"Hi, Bruce." she said, keeping her voice light and easy. She could do this. "Can I talk to you for a second?"

"Sure." he said, matching her calm tone. It still unnerved Georgia, how he was just too laid back about everything.

She decided to just dive right into it. "Listen, I'm sorry about what happened last week." she started, her voice only slightly nervous. "About me kissing you. It was totally unprofessional, and we're good friends, so I really don't want to jeopardize that."

He gave her a bemused look, so she continued with her apology. "I realize that it was a mistake, and that you probably agree with me that it was a mistake. I wasn't feeling well, and I guess I just acted on an impulse. A stupid... unprofessional impulse." she said, playing with the end of her shirt in a nervous habit. "So I'd really love it if we could stay friends and it not be, like, awkward between us."

Bruce still didn't say anything. Georgia smiled slightly. "I'm sorry." she repeated, and turned back towards the door. "Good night, Bruce."

She was at the door when Bruce finally spoke.

"I didn't think it was a mistake." he said quietly, rising from his desk and removing his glasses from his face. Georgia turned around once more to face him, her eyes guarded. She hadn't planned for this.

"Huh?" she asked dumbly, having not prepared for his response.

"I didn't think it was a mistake." he repeated, approaching her slowly. "Georgia. You are beautiful. I can't stress that enough."

"So... you don't regret it because you think I'm hot?" Georgia asked, her voice adorned with it's usual sarcastic edge. Bruce smiled, chuckling lightly.

"No, but that certainly is a bonus." Bruce said, still smiling. "I don't regret it because I think you're strong, confident, and intelligent. You don't take shit, and you know who you are and what you want. You're amazing. To put it in schoolboy terms; I like you, Georgia."

"Like, like me like me, or _like_ me like me?" Georgia asked, cringing at the way her question sounded. They really did sound like middle schoolers.

Bruce grinned again. "Uh, let's go with the second one?" he said, amused. He stepped forward to stand directly in front of her. Their eyes met briefly before Bruce swept down to capture her lips with his in their second kiss. Georgia's eyes widened, but soon drifted closed as she responded in turn, wrapping her arms around his neck. He encircled her face with his larger hands, brushing her cheeks with his thumbs affectionately.

Again, it was Georgia who pulled away. Her eyes were sad as she thought of all her issues. Her parents. Her adoptive parents. Her abilities. Reed.

"You don't want me, Bruce." she said quietly, backed up against the glass. Unshed tears shown in her eyes. "I'm damaged goods."

Bruce smile sadly, stepping forward to regain the close proximity. "You think _I_ don't understand issues?" he asked quietly, cupping the side of her face with his hand.

Georgia looked away, sighing as she covered his hand with hers. "You don't want me." she repeated.

Bruce bent down to meet her eyes. "I think... that I'd like to decide that for myself." he whispered, kissing her again. This time, Georgia just accepted it. She pressed the length of her body against his as their lips melded together. One of his arms went around her waist, pulling her closer, and the other went around her back, threading his fingers into her hair. Her hands went to his face, and she ran her fingers through his mess of curly locks as well.

Their moment was interrupted, however, as Rock You Like A Hurricane by Scorpions began playing over the PA system.

_Here I am! Rock you like a hurricane!_

Georgia and Bruce's lips came apart as they stared at the ceiling. Georgia's face was disapproving, but when she turned back to Bruce, she couldn't help but smile and laugh along with him.

"_Yeeah buddy! Looks like I'm gonna have to install censoring devices in Jarvis' systems!" _Tony's voice said through the PA, laughing. Georgia rolled her eyes, and pecked Bruce's lips once more before untangling herself from him.

"Well." she said, clearing her throat. "Glad that's settled."

Bruce grinned. "You say that like it's a business deal." he teased, turning off the lights in his lab as he followed her to the elevator.

"_I'd just like to say that elevator sex is the best. Just a suggestion." _Tony's voice said as they entered the elevator. Georgia sighed.

"This is never going to end, is it?" she asked Bruce, her voice tired.

He chuckled. "Knowing Tony? No." he confirmed, grinning. Georgia sighed again.

"Don't make me short out your systems, Anthony." she threatened, looking directly into the camera on the elevator. Something like an evil cackle was the only response until they arrived on the penthouse floor.

Tony was waiting, leaning against the kitchen counter casually and grinning.

"Don't grin so wide, you may split your face in half." Georgia mumbled. "And we all know how simply _tragic_ that would be."

Tony only grinned wider at her comment. "Hey. It would be tragic. Pepper here would be devastated." he retorted. "Right, honey?"

Pepper appeared from the stairs. "Eh. Slightly put off. But nothing I couldn't handle." she said easily, coming to stand next to him. He put his arm around her.

"See?" he said, laughing. Georgia raised an eyebrow. "My pretty face would be ruined. But Pepper would still love me."

"Sure. Yeah." Pepper agreed, grinning as she kissed his cheek. "Well I have to get home. Congratulations, you two. Don't let Tony ruin your fun." With a wink, she disappeared down the elevator.

The three of them were left standing there. Tony still grinned at them, his eyes darting back and forth from one person to another. Georgia pursed her lips at him before yawning.

"I'm going to bed before this day gets any weirder." she announced, turning to smile at Bruce. "Good night." she said quietly, standing on her tip toes to reach his lips. They only kissed a few seconds before Tony made a gagging noise.

"Ew. Okay, okay. I understand why you get mad when I kiss Pepper in front of you." he said, looking at Georgia. She sank back down to her normal height, raising an eyebrow at him.

"So you're not going to do it as often?" she demanded, laying her head on Banner's chest.

"Well, this room is still _my_ room, so I reserve the right to do what I wish where I wish it to be." Tony snorted, grinning. Georgia rolled her eyes as she turned for her bedroom.

"Good night, Anthony." she said, her voice irritated.

"Don't keep me up with your wild sex now." he called to them as they entered their respective bedrooms.

"Good _night_, Anthony." she repeated, narrowing her eyes at him from her doorway.

"Okay, okay, you can keep me up. Just don't break anything." Stark continued, still grinning at her.

"Shut _up_, Anthony." with that, she disappeared into her room and fell asleep with a smile on her face.

...

**THEY ARE FINALLY TOGETHER PEOPLE. FINALLY. *flails***

**Ahh! But this isn't the end for their problems. You can't have someone as damaged as Georgia dating the Hulk without there being problems. And they live with Tony... sooo... yeah. **

**I'd like to thank Centinibron for their idea to have Tony interrupt Bruce and Georgia. Though you said that a while ago, I didn't forget! This chapter is dedicated to you! Rock on! **

**Next chapter: A new person comes to live with them at Stark Towers! Who is it? Natasha? Steve? Clint? Thor? I'll never tell! But I'm hoping to incorporate in having all the Avengers living together in Stark Towers eventually. Eventually. And they will be meeting up with some of the other Marvel heroes eventually. Especially the X-Men. Because I love the X-Men. I have a raging crush on Hugh Jackman and Wolverine. And there will definitely be some Spiderman eventually, as well. No real plans for that yet, but Peter lives in New York. So I kinda have to have it happen. Besides. I LOVE Andrew Garfield as the new generation of Spidey. I never liked Tobey McGuire, honestly. (Not at all because Andrew is hot as hell... Not a deciding factor in the least...;P)**

**So yeah! I hope you adored this chapter like I did! Let me know via review and/or PM me! Up to 101 reviews already! Thank you so much for your love and support, as always, and keep it coming! Reviews are like... I don't even know... like drugs to us fanfiction writers. It gives us drive and purpose! Not that drugs give you drive and purpose BUT YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN.**

**Peace and blessings, peace anddd blessings!**

**Jess**


	15. Chapter 15

_Circuit Breaker_

Waking up that Saturday morning, Georgia glanced over at her clock with a groan. It was only eleven, but it felt like she had slept longer. She yawned as she stretched, getting up and throwing on a t-shirt and shorts.

Exiting her room, she saw Bruce sitting at his usual seat. "Good morning Bruce." she said fondly, kissing his cheek as she passed. He smiled at her over his newspaper.

"'Morning, Georgia." he replied, folding his newspaper to give her his full attention. "How did you sleep?"

She shrugged. "Eh. Well enough." she answered, opening a bottle of water. "I should probably try and get more, though. We all know how much I need my beauty sleep."

Bruce grinned. "I beg to differ. I personally don't think you need any at all." he said a bit flirtatiously. Georgia rolled her eyes, leaning over the counter between them to press her lips again his.

"You're full of crap, you know that?" she whispered as she pulled away. He just shrugged, still smiling.

"Speaking of people that are full of it, where's Tony?" Georgia continued, sipping her water.

"He was here an hour ago. I was shocked to see him up at a decent hour." Bruce replied easily. "He mumbled something about an errand and took off."

"Let's hope he just doesn't come back, shall we?" she suggested, walking over to the couch and turning on the TV. Bruce soon joined her.

Georgia flipped through the channels. "An infinite number of channels, and there is nothing on." she mumbled, leaning her head on Bruce's shoulder. He in turn wrapped his arm around her.

Over the week that they had begun dating, Georgia was becoming increasingly surprised at how comfortable they got with each other in such a short period of time. It's like all the uncertainty and shyness they had experienced before they admitted their feelings just melted away.

It kind of frightened Georgia, as this is what had happened between her and Reed. But then again, Bruce was nothing like Reed.

Georgia was still flipping through the channels when the elevator announced someone's arrival with it's usual 'ding'.

"Are you two clothed?" Tony called warily into the penthouse. Georgia could hear the smile behind his words.

"Yes, Tony." she snapped, turning to glare at him.

As she did, she noticed a very familiar face walking behind him. Her anger melted away.

"Hey, it's Cap." she said, standing up to go give him a hug. The taller man bent down to wrap his arms around her.

"Hello, Georgia." he said, equally happy to see her. She pulled away, grinning.

"Why are you here?" she asked bluntly. "Not that I'm not thrilled for the change of scenery, living with these two." Bruce had come up behind Georgia at this point, wrapping one arm around her waist.

Steve chuckled. "I've decided to take Stark up on his offer." he explained, eyes straying to Bruce's arm before returning to Georgia's face.

Georgia's eyebrows shot up. "You're gonna live here? Jesus, I always thought you'd be the last to take Tony up on his offer. You didn't exactly get along back in the 'old days'."

Tony laughed. "Well nobody can stay mad at me for long, right, Cap?" he asked, hand clasping Steve's shoulder. Georgia rolled her eyes.

"Okay, Tony." she said sarcastically. "I have all the news reports taped and every newspaper article concerning me. Just saying."

"Nobody except Georgia." Tony corrected snidely. She narrowed her eyes at him.

"Anyway." Steve interrupted, and Georgia turned back to him. "Trying to live on my own and being widely known as 'Captain America' isn't exactly easy. Especially now."

"So... you think that living with multi-billionaire Tony Stark, CEO of Stark Industries and widely known as Iron Man is going to dull the publicity?" Georgia asked slowly, raising her eyebrows in disbelief. "Who also lives with Dr. Bruce Banner, AKA The Hulk and his steaming hot lab assistant who is speculated to be Ms. Volts?" Bruce grinned down at her, squeezing her waist lightly.

Steve smiled sheepishly. "It seemed like a good idea at the time..." he said, chuckling.

"Of course it's a good idea!" Tony exclaimed. "Soon enough we'll get Natasha and Clint and Thor to join us and we'll just be one, big, happy, crime-fighting family."

"Joy." Georgia said dryly, turning around and flopping back on the couch with Bruce. "If you need me, I'll be here."

"Oh, and to catch you up... Georgia and Bruce are..." Tony dropped his voice to a whisper. "Together."

Georgia sighed loudly. "Yes, we're 'together'. Welcome to hell, Mr. Rogers." she said. "Where Tony never shuts up and you never have privacy."

"It's _my_ house!" Tony exclaimed, leading Steve to one of the empty rooms.

Georgia ignored him at this point, turning back to the TV and to Bruce.

"He's really trying to turn this place into Avengers HQ, isn't he?" she asked him.

Bruce nodded. "Yes." he agreed carefully.

Georgia frowned. "Perfect." she sighed. "If Tony can achieve getting everyone living here together, I'm basically going to have to admit to who I am. No reporter in their right mind is going to believe that my living here is a coincidence. Either I'm gonna have to 'come out of the closet', or leave."

Bruce frowned as well. "Have you ever considered going public?" he asked.

Georgia cocked her head. "No. I'm not a hero, Bruce, and I'm not about to pretend to be by making public appearances and shocking a few thugs into submission every other Saturday night." she snapped.

"Okay, I was just asking." he said quietly, calming her down.

She frowned. "That was a one time deal, Bruce. Even if Fury begs me on his knees... I'm not going to do it again." she continued.

"And that's your decision, and I respect you for it." Bruce said kindly, tightening his arm around her shoulders. "At least you're not like Tony, shouting his existence to the world every chance he has."

"I heard that." Tony said shortly, walking briskly through the room. Georgia noticed Pepper following him.

"Hi Pepper." she said pleasantly.

"Hey Georgia." she replied quickly, sparing her friend a grin before disappearing up the stairs with Tony.

Bruce and Georgia exchanged a wary look before returning to their conversation.

"Thank you, Bruce." she continued, smiling at him. He returned her smile, leaning forward to kiss her sweetly. She returned it, turning her body and leaning closer to him. They held this for a while before they heard the shuffling of feet behind them.

They turned, and saw Steve standing their awkwardly, blushing to the tips of his ears.

Georgia couldn't help but laugh at his facial expression. She turned back around, inviting Steve to join them to watch a movie on the couch. As she turned, she noticed Bruce was discreetly checking his pulse.

She was at once pummeled with a realization: at any time when they were being... _affectionate_ and Bruce's heart rate went up... he could suddenly turn into The Other Guy. Honestly, she hadn't even considered that before. He had a lid on the ordeal, that's for sure, but when a guy is with a girl... he's not exactly thinking about anything but her. The realization scared her, but she kept her face frozen in a small smile.

She scooted closer to Bruce, to allow Steve some extra room. A movie was playing, it was called _The Dark Knight_. Georgia thought it was a phenomenal movie, even if it was about a hero... and heroes were part of her everyday life.

"This is pretty badass." Georgia commented halfway through the movie. By this point, Pepper and Tony had appeared from the stairs and settled on the loveseat to the left of the couch.

"Pfft. I could take out this Joker character in seconds." he bragged, pulling Pepper closer.

Georgia rolled her eyes. "Trying to one-up a fictional character, Tony? That's a new low." she snapped, but couldn't help but grin as she said it.

Tony shrugged. "This guy doesn't even have any super powers." he whined. "What's the fun in that?"

"Neither do you." Pepper reminded him snidely. He rolled his eyes.

"Think about it, Stark. You and this 'Batman' are exactly alike. No real super powers. Totally rich. Genius intellect, and apparently really attractive." Georgia reasoned. "It's like you're the same person. But Bruce Wayne has morals."

Tony scoffed. "He can't _fly_, though. What kind of hero that calls himself '_Bat_man' can't fly! I can fly." he said, frowning. "Wait, you think I'm smart and hot, McGuiness?"

Georgia rolled her eyes. "Yes, I think you're intelligent to a point. No, I don't think you're 'hot'." she sighed. "I said 'apparently'. I will never comprehend what goes through Pepper's head every morning when she wakes up and comes to see you. I think you may have brainwashed her."

"With my _loove_." Tony teased, pecking Pepper's cheek. She rolled her eyes at him as well.

Georgia grinned as she turned and saw Steve blushing and looking generally uncomfortable. "I think we're making Steve a fifth wheel." she said with a chuckle, nudging Steve's leg with her knee.

He shrugged, trying to look impassive. "I don't mind." he said quietly, smiling slightly.

"Guys, I think we need to find Steve a girl." Tony said importantly, grinning at an embarrassed Steve. "Or a boy. Whatever works for you, darling. I mean, if a bad tempered electrical generator and a green rage machine can find love in each other, I'm sure you can, too."

Georgia glared at Tony. "And if an asshole, narcissistic rich boy like Anthony Stark can manage to find a woman to put up with him for as long as Pepper has, I'm sure anything is possible at this point." she said dryly, pursing her lips. Pepper grinned.

Tony shrugged. "Fair enough." he conceded. Georgia was surprised; he usually had another smart-ass remark to make. "Continuing beyond Georgia's ongoing distaste for me, we're gonna find someone for you, Capsicle. You like brunettes, blondes, gingers? I'm sure I can set you up with somebody."

Steve looked incredibly uncomfortable. "Uh... um... I'm fine." he said slowly, folding his hands in his lap.

Tony raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Is there someone you haven't told us about?" he asked slyly, and when Steve's face heated up once more it was a giveaway. "There is! Who is she? What's her name?"

Knowing that Tony wouldn't give up until he knew, Steve conceded. "Her name is Sarah..." he said quickly, glancing around the room self-consciously.

"Sarah." Tony tested the name out. "Steve and Sarah. Adorable. When do we get to meet her?"

Georgia frowned. "Maybe Steve doesn't exactly want to bring a girl around you, Stark. Who knows what questions you'll ask her. I think Steve should introduce us when he's ready and she's ready." she said, defending Steve. She knew it wasn't exactly easy being around 'heroes' all the time. The poor girl would be scared to death via Tony.

Steve gave her a grateful smile as Tony huffed. "Fine." he said stubbornly, frowning. "I'm just curious."

"Remember how freaked out I was when I first found out what the hell you were actually doing in your workshop?" Pepper asked gently, backing up Georgia. "It'll be even worse if she meets all of us at once. We're not exactly the most 'normal' group of friends. Well.. you guys, anyway."

Tony finally seemed to accept that. "Fine." he said again, seeming to mean it this time. Pepper smiled, and kissed him quickly before standing up. Silently, Tony stood with her and followed her back up the stairs. No 'good-bye' or reason was given, they just left. The three left Avengers stared after them in confusion.

Georgia then turned to Steve. "Don't worry. You think the teasing will never end and... yeah it never ends." she confirmed, smiling. He blushed to his neck, and said nothing further.

...

**I AM BACK. HOLY SHIT.**

**So sorry for the delay, guys. You're probably like, 'Wow. This bich gets to the part when Bruce and Georgia finally get together.. and then she disppears. What the fuck.'**

**Weeeelll I'm sorry. I've been super busy. I recently lost my job, so I've been job hunting... I saw THE DARK KNIGHT FUCKING RISES AND HOLY SHIT. ONE OF MY FAVORITE MOVIES OF ALL TIME. And I've seen a lot of movies. I sobbed my eyes out at the end. Literally sat there bawling for like a good half hour. Anyone else see it? Epic movie. Swear to god. it's just such a shame that Heath Ledger wasn't able to make a cameo, like alll the other villains. But I included a cameo of TDK in honor of that phenomenal movie. **

**Oh. I also read 50 Shades of Grey recently. I actually read it in one day. I don't care if it's dubbed 'mom porn' it was really good, but of course if you are under like 16 you SHOULD NOT READ IT. Just don't do it. But yeah has anyone else read it? I liked it a lot. it had a few good characters (Besides Annastasia. Jesus she was irritating... until the end, of course.) And a pretty strong, yet kind of weird to read around my friend's grandma, storyline.**

**Continuing. Sorry this chapter kind of majorly sucks. I'm hot and my head hurts and it took me forever to write it. But EASTER EGG ALERT. Sarah was mentioned. I will start writing a basic outline for the story in my freetime, to be done after this project... which is probably going to run for about 45 chapters? Maybe less maybe more. There's still a lot left to be uncovered. Plus the rise of a new enemy? Vhat?**

**Okay, so thank you sooo freaking much for my 121 reviews, and keep them coming! I enjoy all of your insight and comments so much!**

**Love you all! PEACE.**

**Jess**


	16. Chapter 16

_Circuit Breaker_

**The turning point for Ms. Georgia McGuiness. Oh shit. **

Georgia knew something terrible was going to happen the second she woke up. Well, terrible in her opinion. Tony couldn't be more overjoyed by the outcome. Why? Because he got his own way.

Georgia woke up that Sunday morning feeling refreshed and ready to take on the day. She said good morning to her boyfriend, who was, as usual, sitting at the counter waiting for her.

She kissed Bruce sweetly before opening the fridge and downing an orange juice. "Pepper and I are going to take the subway to Times Square and do a bit of shopping today." she announced, sitting across from him.

"The subway?" Bruce mused, taking a sip of coffee. "Are you sure... why don't you just take one of Tony's cars?"

Georgia shrugged. "It's a pretty long way by car. Besides, we feel like _not_ being the center of attention today, thank you very much." she answered, then raised an eyebrow at him. "Why do you ask? Think I can't handle it?"

Bruce backed off. "Of course not. Even if it isn't your powers that keep you safe, it'll be that glare of yours." he joked, smiling. "Tony can't even hold his ground."

"Damn straight." Georgia agreed, grinning as she popped a strawberry into her mouth. "Besides. It'll be fun. I've never been to Times Square... or on a subway train."

Pepper entered the room from the stairs. "I'm glad I'll have the honor of taking you, then." she said happily. "Now stop flirting and go get ready!"

Georgia rolled her eyes good-naturedly, and trapezed down the hall back to her room, where she changed and got ready. She emerged in a rather nice outfit of a feathery white tank top, and a small, black casual skirt. Her black hair was free and down in natural waves.

"Close your mouth." Georgia whispered playfully as she caught Bruce staring at her. "You're drooling." She laughed lightly as she gave him a lingering 'good-bye' kiss, and then followed Pepper out the door.

"You guys are cute." Pepper commented kindly as they descended in the elevator.

Georgia grinned. "It's weird. It's so easy with him." she admitted. "I thought it would be harder... considering my past with Reed. But it was easy with him, too."

Pepper shrugged. "He adores you, anyone can see that. It's like you've been dating a lot longer than what? A week?" she said, leading Georgia down the street.

The raven haired girl smiled a bit sheepishly. "Yeah. But when you fight off impending doom with someone... it kind of makes you skip the formalities, y'know?" she said, following Pepper to the subway station. Pepper swiped her card and led Georgia through the masses of people waiting for the train.

Pepper chuckled. "I mean, I knew Tony for a long time before he even became Iron Man... and let me tell you, when I walked in to find him struggling out of that suit with Jarvis... I almost had a heart attack." she admitted as the wind from the arriving train whisked her red hair around her face. "But I see what you mean. It made me... I don't know, protective of him. Brought us closer together although the _stress_ was just... you don't even understand."

Georgia stepped on the train, giving Pepper and amused look. "Me? Not understand stress?'" she repeated, grinning. "Call me when _your_ boyfriend can turn into an enormous green rage-driven monster at any given moment. Then we can talk about 'understanding stress'."

Pepper laughed along. "Okay, okay." she conceded, grinning as she held on to the railing above her for support as the crowded train lurched forward. She wrapped an arm around Georgia's middle to keep her from sprawling forward.

The lithe woman gave a sheepish smile of appreciation and Pepper helped her regain her balance. "Thanks." she said, grasping the railing as well.

"No problem." Pepper said easily, chuckling. "So. I was thinking we could stop at Victoria's Secret, first." There was a suggestive smile plastered on the taller woman's face.

Georgia pursed her lips at Pepper. "You're as bad as Tony." she accused, attempting to cross her arms but having to hold tight to the railing as the train lurched forward to stop at its next station.

"Eh. Sometimes. He rubs off on me, if you know what I mean." Pepper said suggestively, and Georgia visibly gagged at the mental image.

"Shut up." she snapped as Pepper went into a fit of giggles at her friend's facial expression. "I really _really_ do _not_ want to know. I'm glad the walls are soundproofed."

"The feeling is mutual." the red-head said cheekily.

Georgia scoffed. "Please. Bruce hasn't even copped a feel yet. Or had his tongue in my mouth." she informed Pepper, shrugging.

Pepper looked surprised. "Really?" she asked, eyebrows disappearing into her hairline.

"Yeah. But I mean, we've only been together for a really short time, so I'm not too worried about it at this point." Georgia continued, feeling a bit sick with the constant stop-and-go of the train. "I'm actually kind of nervous about the whole ordeal."

"Why?" Pepper asked, keeping an eye on the names of the stops.

"It's been three years." Georgia said quietly.

Pepper's eyes widened. "Wow. Three years." she mused. "That's a long time."

"Gee, really?" Georgia said sarcastically, rolling her eyes. Pepper laughed.

"Is that even possible with Bruce's condition?" she asked.

Georgia shrugged. "He checks his pulse after every kiss. If he's that worried about it, then... it's probably not gonna be possible." she explained, frowning.

Pepper thought for a moment. "I'll talk to Tony about that. I'm sure his bioengineers can come up with something suitable for that type of situation." she said slowly, grinning. "Can't have my good friend going without her friskies, can I?"

Georgia rolled her eyes and was about to retort when suddenly, the whole train lurched into a dangerous speed. The lights all went out and the emergency ones came on as the train rocked on the tracks. People screamed in terror.

"Attention passengers, this is an emergency situation. We have lost control of the train's speed and all of our controls are shorting out." a voice crackled over the static of the damaged train's intercom. "Please remain in your seats and do not panic." The passengers were not listening, however, and they all stood, staring out the windows as they flashed by the scenery.

The train's wheels squealed as they raced over the tracks at top speed, crashing through two stations in the blink of an eye. Georgia was gripping the bar above her for dear life.

"Georgia, we're headed towards a bridge!" Pepper shouted over the panicked shouts and cries. "If we go over it at this speed, we're going to jump the tracks!" She looked out the side window and could see light rapidly filling the area.

"What do you want me to do about it?" Georgia demanded angrily, her voice shaking.

"You have to stop the train!" Pepper shrieked back, her eyes alive with terror.

Georgia suddenly realized what she meant, and shook her head rapidly. "No! I can't do that! Everyone will know who I am!" she replied, tears filling her eyes as the daylight rapidly approaching signaled their impending doom.

"That's not exactly the biggest issue here!" Pepper insisted.

"I don't want to do this! I don't want to be a hero!" Georgia wailed, tears falling freely as she realized what she had to do.

"Georgia listen to me! That doesn't matter right now. Personal feelings need to be pushed aside. I know you don't _want_ to be here, you don't _want_ to be publicly known. But you _need_ to help. You're the only one who can do anything, and if you just stand there and refuse to help all of these innocent people because of a personal vendetta, then you are no better than Loki!" Pepper said harshly.

Georgia looked around at all the people cowering, waiting for the impact. A child sat sobbing in his father's arms. A young couple clutched at each other for support.

And no matter how badly Georgia wanted to be incognito, she couldn't just stand there and let everyone die. If it was just her own life, this wouldn't be an issue. But she felt something more in this moment. A feeling she couldn't place.

Time seemed to slow down. She sighed, defeated, and allowed her power to take over.

Georgia's eyes glowed electric blue in the dimmed lighting. She scanned the vehicle quickly, before finding the problem. A signal jammer. It was an electrical jammer that prevented communication from the controls to the engine, resulting in a lack of speed control. Someone had done this purposefully. Her fingertips crackled with her electricity as she dispatched the jammer quickly, and sent power to the engine to _stop._

The wheels squealed as the brakes were used. The train slowed, and was brought down to a normal, safe speed as they crossed the bridge to the next station.

Georgia's eyes returned to normal, and she realized that everybody on the train was staring at her.

"That's her!" a young girl whispered in awe.

"Ms. Electric!" an older man said, grabbing her hand and shaking it fervently. "Thank you!" Georgia's face was frozen in an expression of shock and self-loathing. She had saved the people, yes. But at what personal cost?

As Georgia exited the vehicle, along with all the shaken people she had saved, a roar overtook the station.

Everyone who she had saved began cheering for her. A wordless roar sounded as people came up and hugged her. Children grasped her legs and men and woman thanked her profusely for saving themselves and their children.

"Ms. Electric! Ms. Electric!" a voice called importantly from the crowd. A sharply dress man appeared.

"My name is Malcolm Burbage, from the _New York Times_. I want to first thank you from the bottom of my heart for saving us all." he said, shaking her hand. "Can I get a quick interview?"

Georgia nodded numbly, holding onto Pepper's arm for dear life.

"I recognize you from the news reports earlier this month. Is it true that your name is Georgia McGuiness, an engineer employed by Stark Industries?" he started, holding a recorder to his mouth, and then holding it to hers.

"Yes." Georgia answered in a dazed voice.

"And why have you been hiding from us this whole time?" he demanded.

"Because I'm not Tony Stark and I don't crave attention?" Georgia answered dryly, partially coming back to her senses. Pepper elbowed her in the ribs in a warning.

Malcolm laughed. "Quite. And an terms of your name, what shall we call you in terms of your alias?" he continued, glancing up at her.

Georgia didn't even need to think. "None of this 'Voltra' or 'Elektra' or whatever." she snapped. "You can call me Battery."

With that, Pepper pulled her away from the crowd, and down the stairs. She was on her cell phone.

"Hi, Happy? We need a car down to the Bronx, pronto." she demanded, pulling Georgia away from the crowd of people who were now trying to get pictures with the dazed woman.

Pepper pulled her into a small Italian place, where they ordered some New York pizza and sat down, heads down and away from the windows. Georgia looked completely destroyed.

"Damn it, Pepper." she growled, putting her head in her arms. "This is exactly what I didn't want to happen."

Pepper touched her arm sympathetically. "It's okay, Georgia." she said soothingly.

"No... it's not. I can't do this." she whispered, new tears falling down her face. "I'm not into the whole 'hero' publicity shit that Tony is. I don't like the attention. I'm _not_ a big hero. And I just want to be left alone."

Pepper was silent, smoothing her friend's wind swept hair.

"And the worst part is... somebody did it on purpose." Georgia said solemnly. "There was a jammer on the train, Pepper. Somebody _knew_ I was on that train and wanted me to show myself."

Pepper's eyes widened. "How do you know?" she whispered.

Georgia scoffed. "It was a military level signal jammer. It was designed for this. And whoever did it _wanted_ me to know that this was on purpose. Nobody just carries around military grade signal jammers, Pep." she snapped, wiping her eyes. "I can't see people when I'm in my 'mode', though. I could tell somebody was holding it, but I couldn't see them."

Pepper frowned, but turned quickly to look out the window to see Happy Hogan getting out of the car. They went to meet him, getting in the back.

Georgia was silent for the ride home, staring out the window with empty eyes. She knew what she had to do.

Tony and Bruce were waiting for them with solemn eyes as they entered the penthouse.

"Tony... Bruce..." Georgia said quietly, wringing her hands as Bruce approached her. "I... I have to leave."

...

**DUN DUN DUN DUN... DUUUUUUUUUN.**

**Clifffff hangerrr, hanging from a cliff! And that's why he's called Cliff Hanger! (What's that from? Anybody? Childhood flashback!)**

**So. Georgia's now a publicly known 'hero'. Fantastic. **

**Who set this up? Who forced her to expose herself? I know. You don't know. Suck it.**

**So the rest of the Avengers will be coming to make Stark Towers their base of operations now. Because, as Natasha said, if there's an attack on one of us, there's an attack on all of us. They're gonna find these sons of bitches and take them downnnn! Yes, Thor will be returning.**

**Georgia's getting her ASS WHOOPED next chapter. Ass whooped. Like, somebody's going to just kick her ass verbally. Whooo hooo. Yay, screaming match! **

**Like the 'hero' name? Yeah, I like it too... I think it'll be a good name for Tony to make up nicknames for. And it's not a name you'd expect. I was trying to think of something like technology related... but this is okay, too!**

**And this chapter shows that Georgia is kind of selfish. She doesn't want to be in the limelight... and she almost let people die for it. Because she can't grasp the fact that people call her a hero... because of what happened with Reed and... other things. *wink wink* **

**Soooo! Let me know whatchu think! Thanks for all your lovely reviews, and please keep them coming!**

**PEACE**

**Jess**


	17. Chapter 17

_Circuit Breaker _

_Tony and Bruce were waiting for them with solemn eyes as they entered the penthouse._

_"Tony... Bruce..." Georgia said quietly, wringing her hands as Bruce approached her. "I... I have to leave."_

"What?" Bruce demanded, placing a hand on her shoulder. Georgia looked up at him sadly.

Tony raised an eyebrow. "Isn't that being a tad melodramatic, darling?" he drawled, approaching Pepper and putting an arm around her shoulders in comfort. "What happened, anyway?"

Pepper explained in a nutshell, and Tony broke out into a grin. "Well! Great!" he said happily. "Except for the almost dying part, that sounds great!"

Georgia was bewildered. "Uh, hello? Tony? I just said I'm _leaving_ because of this." she said, waving a hand in front of his face rapidly. "Obviously, I don't think this is so fan-fucking-tastic!"

Tony shrugged. "Please. You're over reacting." he insisted.

Georgia glowered at him. "Tony. You're not taking this seriously." she snarled. "I am _leaving_. I'm not going to be what you are, Anthony."

"Oh? And what exactly am I?" Tony challenged, letting go of Pepper to take a step towards the girl.

Georgia pushed away from Bruce to take a step closer as well. "An attention whore. You do it all just for the attention. At least I don't try to be something I'm not. _You_, however, think you're God's gift to man. What's 'heroic' about hiring a bunch of slutty girls to dance around you at a publicity stunt called the 'Stark Expo', huh?" she asked harshly, taking another step closer.

"The longest span of peace in thirty-five years. What's heroic about running away?" he challenged, looking down at her condescendingly.

"Nothing! And I accept that! Because that's not who I want to be!" Georgia answered heatedly, scowling.

"Really, Georgia? If that's 'not who you want to be', then why, pray tell, did you move in here? With the 'attention whore?" Tony asked, raising his eyebrows and smirking.

"You offered! I lost my home and my job!" Georgia retorted.

"You could have said no, Georgie." Tony reminded her cheekily. "If you really wanted to be uninvolved with 'this life', you would have left. Fact."

Georgia's face heated up. "I already explained this to you, Tony. I enjoyed my time with you guys. I had nothing to go back to in Germany. You offered me a job and a home with people I had grown to care about, whilst keeping my identity a secret." she explained, voice beginning to soften a little.

"So what's changed Georgia? Your identity is now public, big deal. It was inevitable." he said easily, smirking.

"Big deal? _I don't want to be a public hero_. I don't want to be a hero. Period!" Georgia shouted, once again angered.

"And why not?" Tony asked, his voice rising as well. "What are you afraid of?"

Georgia wouldn't look at Tony, she cast her eyes down with a huff. Bruce came up behind her, ready to take her away if she needed to be alone.

"What are you afraid of!" Tony asked louder, and Georgia head snapped up. Her hands turned to fists.

"I'm afraid of myself!" Georgia screamed at the top of her lungs, electricity shooting out of her knuckles and into the floor, burning through it to the metal frame. Tony was silent as his eyes widened at her outburst. Steve raced out of his room in confusion, and found the two standing nose to nose. Georgia was unaware of anyone in the room besides her and Tony.

"'Why' may be your next question. Why? I killed my own husband, Tony! Why do you think?" Georgia continued. "And now someone's after me. Nobody just carries around a fucking military grade signal jammer. Somebody wanted me to become public. They knew I was there."

Everyone was still silent, and Georgia realized what she said. Her anger melted away.

"It was an accident..." she started, feeling the tears of guilt return to her eyes. She told Bruce, Pepper, and Steve the whole story in a quiet voice. When she finished, fresh tears fell down her face, and the three came up and wrapped her in a hug. She nestled her face in Bruce's chest for comfort. He stroked her hair as the other two fell back in silence.

She detached herself from him and turned back to Tony. "I can't stay here. They're going to come after me, I know it." she said softly.

"And you think they'll be able to do shit to you with the Avengers behind you?" Tony asked, smirking.

"That's right, Georgia. We'd be there for you. We'll find them." Steve promised from behind Stark. Georgia's eyes were still sad.

"But that's why I can't stay. I don't want any of you in danger. If I've learned anything from superhero movies, they'll go after people like Pepper, or even Sarah." she explained, looking from Tony to Steve. "If I go back to Germany, I'll take the threat with me."

Tony scoffed. "Like hell you will. Use your head. They want you in the public eye for a reason. Even if you melt back into the shadows, they'll try anything to get you back out in the open." he observed. "Which puts us in more immediate danger."

"But they already knew who I was. They've been watching me. They must have been, to know I was on the subway." Georgia insisted.

"True, but they didn't do anything while you were under cover. Why? They could have just taken you down while you were incognito. Their plan is to have you a public figure, and I say let's give them a public figure." Steve spoke up, his voice turning all business-like. "Do what Tony does, make the world love you. Make some public appearances, and watch for any strange activity. If they want to do... whatever their plan is... in public, they'll choose a situation like that. We'll be able to pinpoint them more directly."

Georgia frowned. "Why can't I just disappear? I don't want to sell out and be like Tony. If I disappear, the problem disappears." she insisted.

"Not exactly." a female voice said behind them. Natasha and Clint entered the penthouse with suitcases in tow. "An attack on one of us is an attack on all of us. If you disappear, it's as Tony said. They might start targeting the rest of us. And even if they follow you, why would we allow you to take on a threat such as this by yourself? If they're bold enough to have called attention to themselves like they did, they must not exactly be afraid of you or us." She and Clint had already been briefed on the circumstances by Happy at their arrival.

"Yeah. What she said." Tony agreed. "Besides. How could you leave Brucey-boy hanging?"

Georgia sighed in irritation. "Really? Right now?" she asked in disbelief. Tony only grinned.

"Besides. If you ran, leaving us, you'd be no better than those idiots in movies. Trying to take shit on by yourself. You've got us, and we're the Avengers, for Christ sake. We'll help you get out of this." Tony pointed out easily.

Georgia looked around at all the people who were there to support her. She sighed in aggravation. "Fine. I'll stay. God damn, you're like my moms." she mumbled to Tony.

"'Moms'?" he asked. Georgia shrugged.

"Well, since I'm baring my soul here... yes. Anita and Charlotte were my parents. Two women. A lesbian pair. Problem?" she asked, eyeing everyone.

"But you said you were 'the daughter of Chuck' when you were introducing yourself to Thor." Steve pointed out.

"Yeah. Charlotte liked the nickname Chuck." Georgia informed them, shrugging. "But continuing on my past, my moms died in an electrical fire. _Not caused by me_. I was at school. I was eight years old. I was adopted by Darren and Pamela Burge, since my moms didn't have any family they would entrust with me in their will. _They_ died in a lab explosion, they were scientists. I was eighteen. The combined inheritance from them and my moms was enough to put me through college and live a rather comfortable life as I did. And that's where I end this look into my past."

Once again the room was silent. Tony was the one to speak first. "So. Where are we going from here? Shall I set up a press conference for you, Georgie? I suggest it, so you can give all the facts firsthand before the media that found out about the train problem-o doesn't ruin your 'heroic' reputation." he suggested.

Georgia scowled. "You suggest that I go along with Cap's plan to make myself a public figure?" she asked, bewildered. Tony nodded.

"Of course. We can lure this son of a bitch that's targeting you out a lot easier like that." he said dismissively. "Just as he said... _Battery_."

Georgia's scowl deepened. "So in other words, I'm going to be an attention whore. Like yourself."

"Yup." Stark said, popping the 'p'. "Continuing, your choice of name is perfect. I'll be able to get you advertising deals with Energizer, Duracell, you name it. Pepper, walk with me."

Pepper gave her friend a sympathetic look, and followed Stark who had begun discussing details of Georgia's public life. It had suddenly become less about her. She rolled her eyes, and stalked towards her room. She changed into her pajamas.

It was dark outside, and she decided to lay in the pitch black of her room by herself. She could still hear Tony rambling about the press conference. It would be tomorrow. She squeezed her eyes shut as she nestled into her pillows. Tears came soon, and she had no idea what their origin was. Sometimes, it just felt good to cry.

She laid there awake for a while, before hearing the door open and close. She couldn't see who it was, so she sent a spark to turn on the light next to her bed. It was Bruce. He squinted as his eyes adjusted to the low levels of light.

Georgia sat up, and motioned for Bruce to sit next to her.

"Hi." she whispered, unable to look at him.

"Hey." he answered, trying to catch her eyes but failing.

"Listen. I'm sorry about not telling you about Reed." Georgia said quietly, still unable to bring her eyes to his. "I just... well, I wasn't lying when I said I was damaged goods, Bruce."

Bruce smiled softly. "There is nothing to be sorry about, Georgia." he insisted. "That's your personal baggage, and I know you would have told me when you were ready to."

Georgia sighed. "That's just it. I don't know if I would have." she admitted. "I've hidden it for so long. Tony was the only one to know until today. It's just so hard sometimes."

They were silent for a moment. "Georgia, I understand if you're not ready for... this... yet." he said. Georgia's eyes snapped to his.

"The thing is, Bruce... I shouldn't be. It's only been three years. I feel like I'm... I don't know. Failing him somehow." she explained sadly. "But... I can't help it. When I'm with you, I forget it all. My guilt. And I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing yet."

Bruce nodded in understanding. "Do you need some time?" he asked slowly. "I promise I understand if you do."

Georgia bit her lip in thought. "No." she said finally. "I don't. Tony told me I needed to let go of some of my guilt. And I think I have. And the place where that guilt festered for so long... I think it's been filled with how much I care for you."

Bruce smiled. "I'm glad to hear that." he said sincerely. "I care for you... more than I thought I'd be able to care for anyone ever again." It was Georgia's turn to smile. She leaned forward, and brushed her lips against his in a sweet kiss. He responded, placing a hand under her chin and a hand on her cheek.

He deepened the kiss as Georgia's arms twined around his neck. He could taste the saltiness of her tears on her lips as they kissed.

Georgia grasped the front of his button-down shirt and pulled him down on top of her. She arched her body into him as he braced his weight, keeping most of it off of her with his elbows on the bed. Her tongue moved against his passionately, and as they got more and more into it, she felt Bruce's hands slid underneath her t-shirt. His calloused hands caressed her smooth skin. Her nimble fingers worked at his buttons, revealing dark chest hair and surprising muscle as she worked.

Suddenly, Bruce rolled off of her, breathing heavily. He checked his pulse with shaking hands, and took a few very slow, deep breaths in order to slow his racing pulse before it hit the breaking point. The green breaking point.

"I'm sorry." he whispered as soon as he got it under control. He turned on his side to look at her.

"It's fine." Georgia dismissed easily, masking the disappointment in her voice effectively.

"I should go back to my room..." Bruce said quietly. "Let you get some sleep... and keep Tony from getting suspicious."

Georgia frowned. "Let him be suspicious. Sleep in here tonight." she said quietly, her eyes slightly pouty. Bruce chuckled.

"Are you sure?" he asked quietly. Georgia nodded. He smiled. "Okay, then. Let me just get changed."

He disappeared out the door for a few minutes. He reappeared in a pair of pajama pants and a t-shirt. Georgia smiled as she pushed back the covers, inviting him in with her. He slipped under them, pulling the thin blankets up to cover them both.

Georgia yawned as she turned off the light. She turned on her side, facing Bruce as she snuggled up to him. He smiled in the darkness as he placed his chin on the top of her head and wrapped his arm around her.

"Good night, Georgia." he said softly, kissing her hair. But she was already asleep.

...

**D'. So fucking adorable, right? RIGHT?**

**Next chapter: Press conference. God damn. Perfect. This'll be amusing.**

**Nobody: Thank you for reading and giving my story a chance, but I would like to point out some mistakes in your analysis. First, Georgia has been carrying around that guilt for three years. Don't you think it was time for her to let go of some of that harbored guilt and try something new to help the healing process? Her guilt was completely real, and since this story is **_**in progress**_**, it will reappear at a later date, I assure you. I realize that one cannot 'get over' something like that in a day. Though I do understand your point, and maybe not everyone would have reacted as Georgia did, I would like to remind you that suspension of belief is required when reading any story, because characters may not behave as you would expect them to. And you cannot simply call yourself a 'smart-ass', dearie. It's like being a hipster. If you **_**say**_** that you're a hipster, you're not a hipster. Likewise with being a smart ass. Thank you for your imput, for giving my literature a chance, and for reading/reviewing! It is appreciated. Have a wonderful day.**

**Kitkat: Thanks so much! It warms my heart to have you say that. :) Thanks for reviewing, and rock on!**

**LEPrecon: I'm glad you never expected Georgia to want to leave! That's mah job. To keep you guessing.;) And what story are you speaking of? 'Involving the missing reactor'? The one that will center around Sarah and Steve? Let me know! Thanks again for reviewing/reading! You rock!:D**

**ebb in and away/lahari: Right! Between the Lions! Great childhood show! Thanks for reviewing and reading! Love you guys!**

**aaroniteXkryptonite: Same! Bane was so much better than how they portrayed him in Batman and Robin! (horrid film.) Bane is calculating and speaks something like seven languages. Not a bumbling, raging idiot like in that film. And he is like one of the only ones to figure out Bruce's identity. (Along with Ra's Al Ghul, Tim Drake, and Hush... and Hugo Strange if you count Batman: Arkham City (great game)... but I could be wrong.) Thanks for reading and reviewing! You are awesome, broo!**

**Wow I wrote a lot back to you guys! I do see what you write to me, even if I don't always answer! And I appreciate ALL imput, I promise!:)**

**So I will be at a wedding this weekend... and then on vacation to Maine for a week... So after Friday night, I won't be able to update until the 12th... I'm extremely sorry and please forgive me! I'll try and get as many updates out as possible until then!**

**Oh... and I'm seeing Big Time Rush in concert this week, too! Judge me, I don't care. They're hot. And I'm excited cause I'm ELEVEN ROWS FROM THE STAGE. And, since I'm rather aggressive, I will make my way to the front somehow. Boom. **

**Oh, and I've been watching clips of Mark Ruffalo as Brucey and I momentarily forgot how fucking HOT he is. God damn. I wish I was an older, more famous woman. **

**Ugh. Not much else to say today. Besides I'm dreading going back downstairs. I saw a GIGANTIC bug down there last night. Like cockroach sized. On the wall. I almost screamed.**

**So I'm gonna hide in my room until morning. I'm like terrified of my house.**

**Okay! Love you all, thanks for all of your great reviews!**

**Au revoir!**

**Jess**


	18. Chapter 18

_Circuit Breaker_

"Oh Georgie!" a voice sang through the door. Georgia's eyes snapped open from her sleep. She groaned softly, trying to roll over... but she found she couldn't.

Arms were wrapped around her stomach, holding her tightly against his body. Georgia suddenly remembered: Bruce had slept with her. Not _slept_ with her... but just sleeping. That's it. She frowned at that thought.

"Georgia! Wakey wakey, eggs and bakey!" the voice continued through the door. Tony knocked a few times.

Georgia swiveled in Bruce's arms so she was facing him. "Bruce." she called softly, pushing on his chest softly. "Bruce, wake up."

He merely groaned, tightening his hold on her and burying his face in her neck. Georgia felt her face heat up and she smiled.

"C'mon, Bruce. Tony's outside the door." she continued softly in his ear.

"I don't care." he moaned into her neck. "You're warm." Georgia grinned wider at half-asleep Bruce. She lightly touched her lips to his neck, feathering kisses there and his face, but not touching his lips.

Bruce whined under his breath, opening his eyes to look at her. "You're pure evil, you know that?" he grunted.

Georgia grinned. "You like it." she snorted, finally placing a kiss on his lips. He responded, threading his hand through her tangled hair.

"Hello~? Georgia!" Tony sang again through the door, knocking louder. He sighed loudly, and threw open the door to find Georgia and Bruce wrapped up in each other.

"Ah ha!" Tony yelled, pointing at them. "Caught you! Jarvis, did you get anything on tape?"

"I'm sorry, sir. Miss. McGuiness requested that I shut down all cameras in her room since the first week she's lived here." the AI answered. "There is no footage of any kind."

Tony pouted. "God damn." he mumbled, frowning deeply. "And who are you to order _my_ AI around, huh?"

"And why are you so interested in seeing my _girlfriend_ naked, Stark?" Bruce asked, an eyebrow raised.

"Or my _boyfriend_ for that matter." Georgia added, pursing her lips at him. Tony only grinned.

"Comparison." he said vaguely, looking from the two. "Now get up, you have the press conference in an hour. Look pretty."

"She always does." Bruce said quietly as soon as Tony walked out. Georgia rolled her eyes at the cheesy line.

"I don't want to go to this damn thing." she whined, resting her head on Bruce's chest. He smoothed her hair. "I'm really not good with public speaking."

"You'll be fine. I'll be there, so will Tony and Steve and Pepper. Natasha and Clint are going to be watching the perimeter just in case." Bruce told her softly. "Just follow whatever advice Tony gives you, and you'll be fine."

Georgia raised an eyebrow. "Okay. I'll remember that little piece of advice, Mr. Banner, when Tony _advises_ me to measure your manhood again." she said, smirking at him. The second day that Georgia and Bruce had been together. Tony basically demanded a number of inches. Georgia wouldn't talk to him for a few days after that.

Bruce gave her a bewildered look, then burst out into laughter. "He didn't."

"He did." Georgia said gravely, pecking him on the lips once more before untangling herself from him and getting up to stretch.

"Hey, now. That's totally unfair." Bruce drawled, grinning at her lean body stretching. Georgia rolled her eyes but felt herself blush slightly. She headed for the bathroom, taking a rapid shower before blow drying her hair and curling it. She pranced into her walk-in closet in just a towel, and found that Bruce had taken off. Slight disappointment covered her features before entering her closet.

She chose a forest green sleeveless blouse, along with a modest knee-length black skirt and work heels for her interview. She applied a touch of make up before exiting her room to find everyone waiting for her.

"Jesus, you take a long time to get ready." Tony grumbled as she joined the group. She scowled at me.

"Well _excuse me_. A least I don't sleep until two in the afternoon on my days off." she snapped, crossing her thin arms. "Like a teenager."

"You're excused." Tony said smugly, ignoring everything else Georgia said. He headed towards the elevator. Georgia was ready to zap him, but feeling Bruce's comforting arm slip around her waist as they walked made her calm down slightly. She noticed that Natasha and Clint were absent from their group. They were riding separately.

"I like you in green." he said in her ear as they entered the elevator. She smiled softly at him, leaning her head against his shoulder as they rode down to the basement. Tony had a Hummer H2 limousine waiting where the elevator opened. Georgia pursed her lips at the extravagance, but allowed Bruce to help her into the vehicle without a word.

"Oh, and you two. Don't act all couple-y." Tony instructed in the limousine.

"And why not?" Georgia demanded, frowning.

"Hey, calm down. It's for your own sake. The press likes nothing more than a relationship to scandalize. You'll get less grief if you just act like friends." he explained, smirking. "If it were my decision, we'd already have a celebrity sex tape of you two circulating." Georgia narrowed her eyes at the man, but couldn't argue.

She was silent on the short ride to the press conference. It was a short ride, and she wondered with aggravation why Tony even bothered with a limousine if it was a five minute drive.

'_Image_." she reminded herself as they slowed down paparazzi lined the way into the conference. They had gotten wind of it somehow. Georgia eyed Tony suspiciously as he got ready to emerge from the limo.

"Just don't answer any questions from the paparazzi, and you're fine." Tony advised as the door opened for him. Cameras flashed as he smiled at them dashingly, one hand in his pocket and the other arm linked with Pepper's when she joined him. Steve slid out next, following Tony to the door quickly. Bruce followed him, hands in pockets like a stereotypical bachelor.

Swallowing her pride and desire to just run away, she stepped out of the limousine with a fake smile plastered on her face. It immediately disappeared as her nerves appeared, seeing a good amount of people flashing cameras and hearing her name being yelled from all sides as she walked slowly to the door.

It was uncommon for Georgia to have butterflies in her stomach. She practically oozed confidence and independence. But when it came to public appearances that focused on her in any way... she kind of retreated into herself. Vast amounts of attention were never her strong suit.

She forced herself to grin confidently at the reporters, but took Tony's advice and didn't stop to answer any questions. She flitted into the conference as fast as she could, and followed her friends to the small raised stage and sat between Bruce and Pepper on the provided seats behind the podium.

The place was filled with press, albeit they were much calmer than the paparazzi outside. Even so, Georgia was extremely nervous to have to speak to them. She caught a few of them regarding her with cold expressions. She wanted to hold on to Bruce for comfort, but knew that that wasn't 'allowed' in this setting.

Tony got up to speak. "Thank you for coming, everybody." he said in his usual self-absorbed tone. "I am here to simply introduce Ms. McGuiness and give her moral support, and I will not be answering any questions. So I will cut what I have to say, and call up Ms. Georgia McGuiness to answer your questions. Georgia?"

'_For once_.' Georgia added in her mind, before realizing that she had to stand and approach the podium.

Tony gave her a hug as she approached him. She was too shocked to register it, but returned it automatically. _'Image. It's all for image._' she reminded herself again.

The reporters all stood as she came to the podium, calling out her name with their hands in the air.

"Before I answer any questions, I'd just like to introduce myself." she said nervously into the microphone. "I'll knock out a few basic questions here. My name is Georgia McGuiness, and I am Battery, the same woman who fought with the Avengers." The reporters resumed their calls. "Yes, uh, you." She said, pointing slightly to a blonde woman in the front.

"Yes, my name is Anna Stillwell from the Post. Tell me, do you really work for Mr. Stark, or was that just a front for covering your identity?" the woman asked.

Georgia cleared her throat. "I do actually work for Tony Stark, yes." she confirmed.

"And do you have any other, shall we say, _relationship_ with Mr. Stark other than former teammates and worker-employer?"

Georgia couldn't help but chuckle a bit at that. The _absurdity_. "I'm afraid Tony and I are _just_ friends, Ms. Stillwell, if that's what you're implying." she informed her, the common ground question making her a bit more comfortable. "Yes, you." She pointed to a man next.

"Gerald Fullmere, Daily Star. Ms. McGuiness, why did you hide your identity from the world?" he asked.

"Unlike Tony Stark, I don't feed off of publicity." Georgia said immediately... and then instantly regretted it. Image. _Image._ The crowd chuckled, however. "B-But honestly, I just wanted a more private life." She pointed to the next person.

"Helga Hershey, Fox 8 News. Do you have any romantic history with any of your teammates, Ms. McGuiness? We have pictures of you dancing with both Dr. Bruce Banner, Mr. Tony Stark, and Captain Steve Rogers at Stark's benefit." she asked, eyeing the younger girl suspiciously.

"Uh, no. Not at all. I'm just very good friends with both Steve and Bruce. It was just friend-dancing." she said, her wording a bit awkward. "And I've already covered the situation with Tony and I... so, you, sir."

"Lyle Baron, Daily Bugle. What is the origin of your powers? Are your abilities related to that of the X-Men in any way?" he asked.

Georgia gave him a confused look. "I've... I've never heard of them... But I assure you, I have no affiliation with the 'X-Men', and as the origin of my abilites... I've had them since I was born." she explained.

"How about the new superhero alias known as 'Spiderman'? Any affiliation with him?" he continued.

Georgia frowned and shook her head. "Um, no. I've heard about him before... but the only 'hero group' I'm a part of is the Avengers." she continued. She still wasn't comfortable with this whole thing.

The next person spoke. "Malcolm Burbage, Times. We met on the train." he introduced himself. Georgia nodded shakily in acknowledgement. "What do you plan to do, now that you're public? Are you going to continue as a hero, protecting our city?"

Georgia panicked slightly. No. She didn't want to do that. She glanced back at Tony for support. He only nodded her forward, trying to signal something with his eyes. Never being good with direction that wasn't spelled out for her, she turned back around, still with nothing to say.

"I'll help in any way I can." she said uncertainly, and that seemed to satisfy the man's question enough. She picked the next reporter.

"Lisa Dent, Wall Street Journal. What was your role in the subway train accident?" she asked sharply, raising an eyebrow.

"E-Excuse me?" Georgia asked, shell-shocked. What was she implying?

"You heard me. Was it _really_ an accident like you claim, or was it simply a publicity stunt to get your fifteen minutes of fame?" she accused.

Georgia blinked. "I would... _never_ put people's lives in danger for publicity." she snapped, losing her temper. "Something was happening to the engine, I curbed it. That was all."

Another skeptical look and a round of questions shouted at her from the sea of reporters. "You could have easily caused it." she accused. "Caused it, and then solved it easily to make yourself out to be a hero."

Georgia's eyes lit with flames. Tony shared an alarmed look with Bruce. "_Excuse _me." she growled. They recognized that tone. "My best friend and I were on that train. Along with countless others that could have been hurt or killed. I don't know what other kinds of 'heroes' you've been interviewing lately, lady, but I assure you. I did nothing to cause that malfunction. I merely was able to help."

She was getting more and more agitated by the second. Tony shot up, ending the press conference and leading Georgia away from the podium. Her chest was heaving.

"Calm down." he commanded in her ear as he loaded her into the waiting limousine.

"No." she growled, crossing her arms and legs. She was furious. She was _exposing_ herself to the world. As a 'hero'. And they accused her of simulating a near-tragedy, putting hundreds of others in danger, just to get in the public eye. She didn't know what kind of person would do that.

When they arrived back at home, she stomped to her room, slamming the door. She stripped down, putting on yoga shorts and a t-shirt to relax in. She asked Jarvis to lock her door, and turned on the TV.

She watched some old cartoons to make herself feel better. Later that night, when she had wasted a good six hours alone, watching TV, she flipped the channels to find a news report on her press conference.

Georgia winced, but decided to watch it.

_One of the previously unnamed Avengers, now known as Battery, had a press conference earlier today concerning her identity and life as a hero. The woman, legally named Georgia McGuiness, was found to be a rather normal, sensible woman by attending press members, including myself. Rumors of her relationships with Captain Steve Rogers, Dr. Bruce Banner, and Mr. Tony Stark have been dispelled. McGuiness claims that they are all only friends and teammates, but who's to know what really happens behind the walls of Stark Towers. Before the press conference was officially over, however, McGuiness displayed a show of anger as one reporter accused her of staging the near-horrific subway train incident that occurred yesterday afternoon. Tony Stark extracted the angered woman from the scene immediately. _

_What do you think, viewers? In my own opinion, I think she is a true hero, as displayed by her actions against the invasion not too long ago as an unnamed heroine. Many fans agree with me. Those who know of her outburst at the press conference admire her drive and fire, claiming that they need a less self-aborbed hero who has the drive to fight. A fandom has already begun to form. A rather sizable one has formed from just the original battle, but now the fanbase has grown to even larger proportions. Ms. McGuiness take on this is currently unknown. More after the break, stay tuned._

Georgia couldn't help but feel gratified by the report... but she still was not into this whole big time hero business. Though the 'fanbase' was flattering, she had heard about Cap's and Tony's. They were _insane_. Even Clint had one that was gigantic and completely crazy. She didn't want to have to deal with that, honestly.

She sighed, frowning. What now?

...

**Ugh. I'm really, really tired so please forgive me for a shitty chapter. I promise the next will be more epic and less... blah.**

**So the Big Time Rush concert was epic. I was really, really close, touched Kendall and James' hands, James smiled at me, Carlos reached out to me, and Logan almost pulled me on stage. I was right next to the girl he picked and he looked at me like ten times when choosing. EEPPPP I LIKE SOBBED. K, fangirling over. Oh, and Cody Simpson smiled straight at me and my friend. Epic. **

**Nobody: Thanks for coming back to read my rant. Fair enough. Thanks so much for giving my fanfiction a second chance, I appreciate it. And thanks for thinking Georgia's a 'very good' character! That makes me feel great! Happy reading!**

**Bellarase: Thank you for all of your wonderful reviews! They really brightened my day! I'm glad you like Georgia, and thank you so very much for that last compliment! It really made me feel good, and I appreciate it so thoroughly! Thanks for reading and reviewing, rock on!:)**

**The Red Dove: George says hi!**

**Aren't Bruce and Georgia adorable? **

**Okay, I need to sleep! So adios!**

**Love you!**

**Jess**


	19. Chapter 19

_Circuit Breaker_

Being a 'celebrity' was hard on Georgia. She couldn't go out without being recognized, and had to sign a thousand autographs and take a thousand and one pictures for all the fans that came up to her. She didn't have the heart to say 'no', especially to the kids. Some dressed up like her, tin foil wrapped around their middles, wrists, and faces. She wondered if any professional cosplayers would dress up as her for Comic Con next year.

Georgia had taken to not leaving as often. She stayed home, mostly in her lab and room.

Pepper came down to invite her to go out for drinks that night. Even Bruce had accepted the offer for once, though he didn't drink. Georgia shrugged from where she didn't stop welding, sparks flying around her.

"Nah. I'm kinda tired, Pep. And I want to finish this before I go to bed." she said, turning her masked face to give a flitting smile which was hidden by said mask. "Have fun."

Pepper nodded, reluctantly retreating to the elevator. Georgia absorbed herself in her project. She was desperately trying to find a clean generator that could power Stark Industries indefinitely. That's what Tony was paying her to do, and she was determined to find it.

But as the clock struck eleven, she decided she had made enough progress for the night. She put away all her equipment, turned off the lights, and trudged upstairs. When she arrived at the penthouse floor, she walked up the stairs to the private bar that Tony had. She poured herself a scotch, and folded herself onto one of the barstools provided.

Her mind drifted off as she sipped her alcohol.

_A younger Georgia, in college, walked confidently with books in her arms towards a building clearly marked as the mathematics facility. It was her first day of college, the first day in her new life as an engineer... something she was well fit for. She had her iPod on and blasting as she entered the building, glancing around to find her classroom._

_It was almost full by the time she entered the room. Georgia chose the last open seat as she ignored the stares she got as she sat, in her skinny jeans and band t-shirt. They obviously thought that she was inadequately equipped to handle Calculus II. They were sadly mistaken, though the notion was a common misconception due to her casual appearance and lack of physical deformity as an attractive woman of science. _

_A group of guys snickered behind her, and she could hear it well over the thump of Queen's We Will Rock You. She turned, an eyebrow cocked up at the group of lanky men behind her seat. They immediately ceased their childish giggling, and Georgia turned back around. It started again almost instantly. She sighed inwardly, turning up her music higher still and effectively drowned them out. _

'Silly me. I thought Yale's student body would be matured beyond the point of school boy antics_.' she thought to herself sourly, and was forced to turn off her iPod as a professor entered the room. She was young-looking, with a pixie cut. Even with the boyish hair, when she turned around she was overwhelmingly feminine and rather attractive. _

_She smiled at the classroom as it quieted down for her. "Hello class. My name is Professor Ryan Hedlund, and I will be teaching you Calculus II." she said formally, giving the classroom full of students a small smirk. _

_"Since I have no patience for the 'normal' first day, in which I lecture you on rules that you will simply ignore, we will be beginning the first chapters of our books." the professor continued. "But I will leave you with this; No cell phones. No iPods or the like. Sit down. Shut up."_

_Georgia felt a smile twitch at the end of her mouth. Professor Hedlund was a woman who demanded respect, she could tell. Though her rules seemed harsh the way she barked them, they were no different than any other professor's... just a bit more straight forward. _

_The room was silent, and Hedlund smiled in satisfaction. "Good. To begin, write your names in the cover of your books. Ladies, don't dot your 'i's' with little hearts. That is not part of standard English manuscript and it is not permitted in my classroom. Then turn to page 14 and we'll begin the lecture."_

_Georgia had proven herself a worthy student during that first lesson. Her hand shot up for a good amount of the questions asked after the lecture, and, unless it was her imagination, she thought she impressed Ryan Hedlund. At least a little bit. _

_She left her first lecture with a smile on her face... and a decent amount of homework to do later. But that was the thing with Ryan Hedlund; She was strict and demanding of her students, but she never gave them anymore work than they could handle. She pushed them just hard enough to make steady progress but never too much to make them loathe her class... though the students loved to complain about her. Mrs. Ryan Hedlund became one of the primary influences of the person Georgia would turn out to be._

_Walking out of her first class highly satisfied, she realized that she had an hour for lunch before her next class began. She dropped her books off at her dorm, which was along the way, and headed for the small café that was home to the more artsy students of Yale, complete with live music and comfortable couches for relaxation._

_As she walked, her earbuds in once more, she heard a voice over her music. She turned, and saw a rather attractive young man that she recognized from her Calculus II class. He approached her with an easy, confident look that you couldn't teach to someone._

"_Hey." he said as he came close to her, stopping much too short for Georgia's comfort. She raised an eyebrow at him as she removed one earbud, leaving the gesture an earbud short of respectful. _

"_Hi." she answered, her voice calculating._

"_Georgia, right?" he continued, hands in his pockets. Georgia frowned._

"_Depends. Are you asking because you legitimately forgot, or are you using it as a start for a conversation that will be beneficial for neither of us?" _

_The man stared at her before his grin widened. "Oh, you're _that_ kinda gal. Alright. I can work with that. The name's Reed." he introduced himself with an impudent smirk. Georgia pursed her lips._

"_Did I ask what your name was?" she demanded, beginning to turn and return her earbud to it's home._

"_No, but I just figured that every gorgeous girl on campus should know _my _name." Reed drawled, recovering easily. He began walking with her, to which Georgia gave him an incredulous look._

"_Is that so." she answered in an uninterested tone, heading for the café. Reed grinned down at her._

"_Really and truly." he confirmed, his tone still easy and carefree. "Tell you what, Georgia. Let me buy you lunch."_

_Georgia rolled her eyes blatantly, though the prospect of a free meal kept her from saying no immediately. The boy was arrogant, she could tell by the way he walked and looked at her, but as she looked up at him, head cocked with a quizzical look plastered on her face... she realized that he wasn't bad to look at. At all. Free food and a hot guy. Alright._

"_Fine." she agreed as he opened the glass door for her. She rolled her eyes at the chivalry, and entered quickly ahead of him._

Georgia never would have guessed that she would _marry_ the food-buying jerk that approached her after her first day of Calculus II. And even later, when she and Reed were happily married... she asked him what his intentions were that day. He openly admitted that he had a bet with his friends that he could get the apparently 'snobby, genius girl' naked before first quarter ended.

Needless to say... Georgia cheerfully beat the shit out of him for that one. But it had transformed into the best sex of their lives. And love to outshine anything someone could dream up in a teenage romance novel. No sparkly vampires included. Just love.

When she had finished reminiscing, Georgia realized that she had finished the bottle of scotch and was now good and half-drunk. She dragged herself to the couch, flopping herself down on it with a groan, cursing her high alcohol tolerance.

She didn't feel like crying. Not today. What did she have to cry about? She had a caring boyfriend, friends who would literally risk their lives to keep her safe, a high-paying job at which she didn't even need to work to get paid, and a rent-free _palace_ of a home. What more could someone as for?

"_Spoilt._" she spat, her brain buzzing with alcohol. She had everything, and yet she longed for the past. Her husband. Her carefree life. The ability to walk outside without being tackled by fangirling eight year olds and even grown men.

She lolled her head to the side, unable to move without pain. Not physical pain; emotional pain. It resonated throughout her body as she breathed. And though she knew she was being whiny, she couldn't help it.

"Georgia!" a drunken Tony sang from the staircase. Georgia groaned.

"He should _not_ be allowed to drink. The levels of irritation from a drunk Tony should be illegal." she grunted to herself as she rolled herself off the couch and down the stairs. Her kind of drunk today was not 'party Georgia' or even 'fuck yeah Georgia'. It was 'Debby Downer Georgia'. You do not want to meet this Georgia.

"Georgia!" Tony called again from the bottom of the stairs as she descended.

"Who let him drink?" she demanded, entering the room. Pepper shrugged. She was more than buzzed as well.

"It was just in fun, Georgia." she defended, voice a tad slurred. Georgia sighed as Tony threw his arm around her shoulders.

"You know what I think your problem is, Georgie?" Tony asked, his voice highly amused and breath highly alcoholic. "You don't get laid enough."

"O-kay, Tony." Georgia snapped, pushing his arm off of her forcefully, which only made him laugh. "I'll keep that in mind. Go to bed."

"Nah, I think I'll stay up and _make sure_ you get some tonight." he said easily, grinning. Georgia glared at him, which made him laugh harder.

"Stop." she commanded, walking away from him. Bruce smiled at her, moving to hug her. She flinched away, which made his expression worried, but she recovered by opting to reach out for his hand. She held it and contact with his eyes for a moment, before retreating to her bedroom. She felt Bruce come in after a while, laying down next to her after checking if she was awake. She pretended to sleep.

...

Georgia woke up the next morning to the blasting of music, and an empty bed. Her head pounded from her alcohol consumtion the night before, and she rolled over whilst covering her head with a pillow. How did these people not suffer from hangovers?

She groaned in irritation. They were playing Guitar Hero, she could tell. She brushed her hair and threw it up before exiting her bedroom, finding all of the residents of the house gathered around Tony's gigantic flat screen, trying to explain the game to Steve.

"Georgia... help us. Cap still doesn't get the concept." Tony implored, motioning with his head to Steve, holding the controller-guitar awkwardly. Georgia's face was expressionless.

She ignored his plea. "Don't you people experience hangovers?" she demanded as she opened the kitchen cabinet with the medicines. She popped a few pain killers and joined everyone on the couches surrounding the TV. Cap was playing on easy, and Georgia couldn't help but smile when his face lit up at his passing score at the end of his song, My Name is Jonas by Weezer.

"No. I've developed a tolerance for them, kid." Tony teased, taking the guitar from Cap and grinning as Georgia glared at him for calling her 'kid'. "Don't pout. I'm older than you. More experience. Wanna battle?"

"No. I'll just sit here." Georgia huffed, settling further down in her seat on the same couch as Pepper and Natasha. Clint and Bruce sat across from them.

"Scared?" Tony challenged, grinning. Georgia rolled her eyes.

"I think we both know that a technopath such as myself, even when hindered with a hangover, will kick your ass five ways to Sunday in any video game." Georgia retorted easily, ignoring her pounding brain to finish speaking.

"Prooove it." he continued to taunt, holding out the guitar. Georgia exhaled loudly through her nostrils, and stood up.

"One song. I pick. You shut up afterwards." she commanded, ignoring the offered guitar in preference for the Genericaster guitar model. She strapped it around her neck and switched the setting to 'Expert' and looking through the songs. It had every song ever put on Guitar Hero, Tony had combined them somehow. Georgia wasn't complaining.

"How about Iron Man?" Tony asked with a grin as Georgia passed it. She ignored him. He liked that Black Sabbath song way too much. It wasn't even about him. She finally stopped on one of her favorite songs, Cliffs of Dover by Eric Johnson. It started, and Georgia's eyes turned blue as she readied herself.

"No powers, that's cheating!" Tony whined, and Georgia smirked as she began flawlessly playing the notes, knowing exactly how to move her fingers. It was impossible for her to miss a note in this state.

"Never said no powers." she said easily, grinning as she stared into the flat screen, which was taller than her. Tony continued to protest, so Georgia complied, 'turning off' her abilities. She continued to win.

"How'd you learn video games?" Tony asked, staring into the screen. "Did Reed teach you?"

Georgia scoffed. "No. He hated video games." she explained, finishing the song with flop back on the couch next to Pepper. "As do I. But being a technopath, it just kind of comes naturally." She dropped the guitar to the floor.

Tony frowned, sitting back on the couch behind him as well.

_..._

**Pointless chapter. FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU-**

**Ive been suffering from not writer's block... no... but the fact that I have a life now (with school and stuff) makes it hard for me to find time and energy to write something good. Though this chapter did take a peek into Georgia's past. Interesting.**

**A picture of Reed is on my profile as of... now. He's portrayed (in my mind) as Garrett Hedlund, whose last name was used for Prof. Ryan Hedlund's. He is the EPITOME of sexy. As is Reed.**

**So in honor of The Avengers coming out on DVD today, I decided to sit my ass down and write something... something shitty. **

**Oh. And I wrote a practice college essay for class on The Avengers. Bahss.**

**Oh. And just to give you an idea of my busy schedule: I have school, then rehearsal for Beauty and the Beast, the musical in which I am in, all week, and then working on the weekends. I DONT GET A DAY OFF I SWEAR. And I try to have a social life. It's failing. Oh, and homework. Lotsa it.**

**Again, I am sooo sorry for the wait. I'm a terrible person.**

**I do STILL love you all! Lift my spirits with reviews!**

**Jess **


	20. Chapter 20

ATTENTION. WHAT LIES AHEAD IS A SHITLOAD OF INFORMATION AND MINDFUCKERY. HAVE FUN. I SUCK AT WRITING.

Georgia awoke to a massive pounding echoing through the house. She groaned and rolled over, which left her face to face with Bruce. He groaned in response, and flung an arm around her. He held her close, burying his face in her black hair.

"Who. Is. Knocking. This. Early." she demanded, her voice irritated and sleepy. She nuzzled her face into Bruce's t-shirt and exhaled loudly.

It didn't cease. If anything, it grew louder. Georgia growled in the back of her throat as she whipped off the covers and stomped to her door. Bruce groaned, reaching for her warmth. She had to smile briefly, before another round of knocking made her head snap towards the source.

She opened her door. Nobody was there... but the knocking didn't cease. Her eyes glowed briefly, and she realized that it was coming from Jarvis' speakers.

"Jarvis. What is that unholy racket?" she barked at the AI, and tapped her foot impatiently.

"Visitors, ma'am. They are demanding entrance to the penthouse." Jarvis answered, and Georgia frowned.

"How are they tapping into your speakers?" Georgia demanded, tensing as the knocking continued. She was ready to kick the shit out of whoever this asshole was.

"They are not." the AI responded. Georgia was surprised. She was sure it was coming from his speakers. Well... it WAS morning, after all. She was bound to make mistakes cranky.

That meant that the knocking was coming from the floor below them. And it was loud enough to burst through the soundproofing.

"Well let them up, by all means! It's not seven in the morning or anything!" Georgia said, throwing her hands in the air and stomping to the kitchen to make coffee. "I'll give 'em a good piece of my mind I will. Barbarians."

"I'm sure you will, Ms. McGuiness." Jarvis agreed, seeming amused.

Georgia heard the elevator 'ding' and as the door opened, three very different people stood in the doorway. There was a bald man in a wheelchair, a short, but very muscular man with an angry expression, and a dark-skinned woman with white hair.

"Can I help you?" Georgia demanded in a tone that clearly meant 'fuck off'. The bald man smiled warmly at her and was about to speak when Mr. Angry cut him off.

"Damn right! We've been here for an hour!" he growled, his fists clenched. Georgia raised an eyebrow at him.

"Ever think of, oh, I don't know, making an appointment? Or waiting for a decent hour?" she hissed, and a wave of tension sparked between the two.

"Logan, calm down." the dark-skinned woman murmured, and Temper-Tantrum man unclenched his fists.

"I apologize, Mrs. McGuiness. What we have to say is urgent and Logan is not the most patient man, I must admit." the bald man said soothingly.

"Ms." Georgia mumbled, crossing her arms. The man smiled and nodded in apology.

"Quite right. MS. McGuiness." he corrected himself before continuing. "My name is Charles Xavier, and I run the Institute for Gifted Youngsters in upstate New York. You may recognize the title 'X-Men'?"

Georgia nodded. "Of course." she replied.

"And this is Logan, and Ororo. Associates of mine. We're here to discuss matters most dire. It has to do with the origin of your powers."

Georgia's face flashed with fear for a moment. "It's not the X-gene." she said quickly.

Charles smiled. "I know. But I think we both know exactly what it IS and why it is a problem." he said, and Georgia looked away. She didn't know that this would be coming this soon.

"It's not a problem." she murmured. "I have it under control."

Logan snorted. "You obviously DON'T, Miss. I Almost Had a Train Crashed." he grumbled, and Georgia glowered at him.

"You wanna say that again while looking at me?" she challenged, her fingers crackling with electricity. Logan growled, and his claws began to extend. They glinted in the low lights, and Georgia's eyes were starting to glow.

"Please." Charles' voice asked quietly, and Georgia snapped out of it and turned to look at him. Logan did the same, and he immediately retracted his claws and calmed down.

"I... I'm really fine. I don't need your help Mr. Xavier." Georgia said with fake confidence. Logan snorted and her head snapped back in his direction and she felt more electricity tingle over her arms.

"May we come in?" Ororo's voice asked kindly, this was the first time she had spoken. They obviously didn't believe her. Georgia sighed, and nodded. The trio entered the lavish living space.

By this time, Bruce, Steve, Natasha, Clint, and Tony had all gathered in the living room.

'God this place is really Avengers HQ.' Georgia thought sourly.

"Why are there people in my house?" Tony asked groggily, and Georiga elbowed him hard in her irritation as she passed him to sit in the kitchen.

"Alright. Let's just get this over with." Georgia sighed, sitting down at the table. Everyone followed her lead, sitting at the dining room table. They all looked expectantly at Xavier to speak.

"Georgia. You're aware of the origin of your powers, yes?" Xavier asked, folding his hands in his lap. Georgia nodded, and kept her eyes away from Bruce's.

"Do your friends?" he prompted, sweeping his eyes over the trio of Georgia's companions.

"No." she answered, looking down in shame. "And I'd appreciate it if they didn't know."

"Georgia..." Bruce murmured, covering her hand with his larger one.

"You don't want to know. I'm basically a monster." she mumbled.

"More-so than I am?" he asked quietly and Georgia turned her eyes to the side and glared at him.

"You're not a monster." she insisted angrily, and he smiled, saying nothing more.

"Alright, if we can cut the sap." Logan growled, interupting them.

Georgia tensed up. "Fine!" she hissed, and turned back to Xavier. "I'll tell them."

Georgia looked up, glancing at all three of her male companions. "My powers don't derive from heredity or radioactivity or even my own intellect." she started, her voice monotone to keep herself from being too emotional.

"I am a science experiment." she ground out, feeling anger and shame wash over her. "After my moms died when I was eight... I was put into an orphanage. I lived there for seven years. When couples are looking to adopt, they want newborns. Not eight year olds."

"I was finally adopted at age fifteen. It was strange enough to have a couple interested in a girl my age, much less adopt one. But doctors Darren and Pamela Burge did. I immediately thought I'd hit the jackpot. They were rich as all hell and they were geneticists. How cool was that for a freshman in highschool who was in senior-level science classes?"

Georgia closed her eyes and sighed. "But I soon realized that these people weren't the parents I had longed for for seven years. They were evil. They were often inject me with strange substances that would make me throw up, claiming that they were vitamin substances or new immunizations. I didn't object."

"The injections stopped... and they claimed that they wanted to do a bit of 'cosmetic surgery' on me. Every seventeen year old wanted a nose-job, yeah? I didn't. I said I didn't want it. But they insisted."

"I was going to run away but I... couldn't. I didn't want to be alone anymore. I went along with everything because I was too scared to be by myself again. I'd spent so long in an orphanage. I don't think you understand how terrible it feels to be unwanted and unloved."

Georgia sniffled, but forced herself into composure. "They tried to drug me, and when I resisted they held me down. They took me to some... facility. I woke up... and I was... different. I would go blind for hours at a time, or I'd have a strange mixture of normal sight and my 'mechanical' sight. I was hooked up to machines at all times, and they did so many tests on me. So... many. I stayed as strong as I could through them, but whenever I fought they hurt me more. They even took to calling me 'Weapon Z', whatever that means."

Georgia smirked a bit. "But they made a mistake. When they left me alone, I practiced using my new powers. At first, it hurt more than their tests. I cried every time I conjured even a spark." she explained. "But I soon got used to it. It still hurts today, though. Every time."

"I heard that they wanted to wipe my memory. That it would be less expensive than keeping me drugged. I then realized that they were afraid of me. Afraid of their own creation." she smiled slightly. "I destroyed their lab. The next time they tried to hurt me, I fought back. I cut myself loose and ran out as I overloaded all of their computers and set their chemicals ablaze. The whole lab exploded, and thank god it was located underground and in a remote area. They were killed, but I was only hit by the end of the blast. The police took me to the hospital and named the explosion an accident."

Georgia smiled brighter at her friends. "I expected to have to re-do my senior year of high school, since they had kept me in their lab for most of the year. But they covered their tracks well. They set up an online schooling account for myself, and pretended that I was taking home-schooling courses for my senior year. Since I had no intentions of being stuck in that town, I simply went along with it and took the inheritance from both my real parents and my adoptive parents to pay for my college education at Yale."

"And... that's all I have to say about that." she shrugged, slumping back in her seat as Bruce's arms fell around her shoulders.

Charles smiled. "Thank you for filling in our gaps, Ms. McGuiness. Now allow me to fill in yours." he started, staring at her intensely.

"Your adoptive parents' names were not Darren and Pamela Burge. They were Scott and Beatrice Stefanowitz. You see, they worked for a corporation that was trying to mimic the Weapon programs conducted by HYDRA. These programs created Wolverine," he nodded to Logan, who snorted. "And your friend, Captain America." Steve grimaced.

Xavier turned back to Georgia. "You see, you weren't the first child the Stefanowitzes adopted. Over the course of their lifetimes in GRIFFIN, their organization, they adopted at least a dozen other teenagers under changed names in order to create a living specimen of their experiments. All over the country, these agents were working tirelessly to create a serum that would change the DNA of a normal human being and give them the X-gene. Once accomplished, the specimens would be used as weapons."

"So... I was created to kill?" Georgia asked in a small voice. "That's why my electricity kills on contact?"

Charles nodded gravely. "I'm afraid so." he confirmed.

"But it's what you DO with your abilities is what matters." Ororo said soothingly, touching Georgia's arm from across the table. She was unable to speak.

"You are also the only living specimen anyone at GRIFFIN ever created." Xavier stated calmly, allowing all this information to sink in.

Georgia, always inquisitive, decided to snap herself out of her stupor. "So they attempted to crash the train and drugged my drink?" she asked.

"Presumably." Xavier agreed. "Just as Logan destroyed HYDRA's lab after his transformation, you destroyed GRIFFIN's. All the research, wiped from existance. All their data, gone. The finished serum seeped into the ground and was lost. Any stores of it were damaged or corrupted."

"I don't understand. How could they not have found me?" Georgia demanded. "A big organization like them must have had some way of finding me."

"Scott and Beatrice never sent your identification files to headquarters, I assume. Your name was never even disclosed. The head of the organization, Ulfrich Griffin, wasn't a forgiving man. Failure was not an option, even when he was a child. I imagine that your adoptive parents didn't fancy reporting your case or survival without a one-hundred percent guarantee that you would continue to live. The way you were identified was by the gene they were supposed to instill in your body. In your case, technokinesis and electricity."

"So they saw me as an Avenger, recognized my power, figured out my identity... somehow... and then targeted me on the train to make myself show my power and then come out in the press conference?" she said, wanting to confirm all the information to herself.

"That's the basic idea." Charles confirmed. "I suppose they had a hunch it was you, more than knowing it for a fact. They'd have had no qualms about killing innocent people if they were wrong, however."

Georgia exhaled deeply. "Alright. Well." she sighed, glaring at the table. "How do you even know all this, anyway?"

Charles smiled wrly. "You'd be surprised what you can find on the internet now adays." he explained. "The problem was brought to our attention by SHIELD, however."

"SHIELD." Georgia hissed the name sourly.

"Yes. They caught the problem early on. They'd gotten wind of GRIFFIN rising again, searching for you. GRIFFIN needs you, Georgia. More than anything. They need your DNA to complete their research."

"Well they can't have it." she growled stubbornly, and Charles chuckled lightly.

"Such spirit." he commented good-naturedly. "The reason that SHIELD brought you in was to keep an eye on you. They informed us that you would just be a scientist assisting on the project with Doctor Banner. They wanted to keep you out of harms way and out of GRIFFIN's notice."

"Well I obviously did more than just help in the labs." Georgia pointed out.

"SHIELD doesn't account for human error as well as they should." CHarles informed her, his voice amused. "They didn't expect you to galavant off with the team, especially not with how against the 'hero' title you were."

"'Are'." Georgia corrected. "I am still against it. Not a hero. A science experiment."

"Okay, okay, this all makes sense and everything..." Tony cut in, "But what exactly are you doing in my home at 8 in the morning? Is it just for storytime or what?"

Xavier smiled. "More or less, yes. Essentially, you needed to be informed, Georgia. With knowledge comes power. They don't know that you are aware of them. It's a job for the Avengers to take care of."

"Just us? Won't you help us?" Steve asked.

"No. Although I want to. SHIELD has forbade us from getting our X-Men involved in this. They insist that if they capture one of our men, GRIFFIN might be able to finish the syntheic X-gene." Charles explained, slightly sad. "Though I argued that if they wanted to use a true X-gene for the experiment, they would have already, but they won't listen. And crossing SHIELD is not in our best interests at the moment."

"But we've got HYDRA." Logan growled. "And, obviously, if you guys can't handle the job, we'll be taking care of it."

"We can handle it." Georgia snapped at him. God. She did NOT like this guy, no matter how close in nature and pasts they had.

Ororo smiled. "Complete faith." she agreed. "Now, Charles, we must return to the school. She has been informed. We should leave them alone. We've intruded enough."

Quite right, Ororo." Charles agreed, and Logan and Ororo stood up from their seats to follow him to the elevator.

"It was a pleasure you meet you, Georgia." Charles said kindly, shaking her hand. Georgia shook Ororo's... then simply glared at Logan as he entered the elevator with an angry look in her direction.

"Thank you." she murmured to them, before the elevator door closed.

She froze for a moment, not wanting to face her friends.

"So..." she mumbled, turning around. "How about some breakfast?"

HOLY SHIT SO MUCH TO ABSORB. HOLY HOLY SHIT. AND IT SUCKS SO BAD. WAAAAH.

And I just pile it all on the first update since I'm back! Don't I suck?

Kay this literally took two hours to write... and that's talking about the SECOND HALF. Not the first. THE SECOND. Die, Jess. You write too much.

SOOO WHATCHU THINK? Don't forget to review or PM me and let me know!

Oh. By the way. Georgia/Bruce smut next chapter? Yes? No? Maybe? WHATCHU THINK? Should I write it as a one-shot and keep this rated T? Or shall I just change the rating to M?

LET ME KNOW.

K, LOVE ALWAYS!

Straight from her new laptop!

Jess 


	21. Chapter 21

In all the confusion of the last few days... Georgia had forgotten that it was New Year's Eve. She woke up to the whole household alive with people decorating the house for the huge party that Tony had no doubt hid from her.

"Do we have to have a huge party?" she demanded, crossing her arms.

"Oh my poor, antisocial Georgia..." Tony started, throwing an arm around her shoulders as he walked her through the splendor and streamers. "You forget that I'm TONY STARK."

"No, I really don't." Georgia grumbled. "You remind me every day."

"Do I now?" Tony mused, and then proceeded to yell at one of the hired decorator about how high the sign was on the ceiling. Georgia rolled her eyes and turned around to go down to the kitchen. She hit her head on a low-hanging streamer and tore it down violently in irritation.

She ate a bowl of Special K and drank a cup of coffee while watching TV, ignoring all of the decorators. If they started decorating around her, they were scared off by an icy glare.

Suddenly, the elevator door 'ding'ed and Pepper stepped off with a clipboard and a dress bag on a hanger.

"Pepper do I have to be at the party?" Georgia demanded.

"Yes." Pepper said briskly, and spared her best friend a weary smile. "Here." She handed the technopath the dress bag and then proceeded up the stairs, checking off things on her clipboard as she went.

Natasha and Clint exited their rooms in the same daze that Georgia had. "What's going on?" Natasha demanded, and Georgia rolled her eyes.

"There's a party tonight. What else?" Georgia informed her, standing up to hang the dress up in her room.

Natasha gritted her teeth. "What a fabulous way to draw attention to ourselves. Particularly to YOU, in light of your situation." she drawled, sighing.

"We'll all be here to keep her safe in case they try anything." Clint reminded her.

"Thanks Clint." Georgia said shortly, biting back an angry retort, and headed off to her room. She entered the room and took the cover off of her dress to check out the number.

Pepper, as always, had wonderful taste... though this dress was a bit flashy for Georgia's tastes. But it was acceptable. It was strapless and to her mid-thigh. The dress was black with a strange sparkly film covering it. The sparkly nature of the dress kind of made it less attractive to Georgia, but it was all she had, and it was beautiful.

She zipped the bag back up and hung the dress on a hook in her attached bathroom. She set out all of her cosmetics and her new clip-less curler she got for Christmas from Pepper.

She exited the room, and ran right into Bruce, who was just waking up.

"Morning." he said groggily, and kissed her forehead affectionately. "Are you excited for the big party tonight?"

Georgia snorted in a most un-ladylike fashion. "No." she retorted, rolling her eyes.

Bruce chuckled. "Of course not." he teased fondly, walking with her to the living room. "But you might as well get used to it."

Georgia attempted to scowl, but found herself breaking into a smile when she looked at Bruce's face. "Stop." she commanded, turning away from him. He grabbed her around the waist and pulled her back, resting his chin on her shoulder as she struggled fruitlessly to get away.

"Stop being stronger than me." she whined, finally conceding and turning to wrap her arms around his neck. He raised his eyebrows and grinned.

He suddenly adopted a straight face. "Your wish is my command." she said seriously, and his arms flopped uselessly at his sides. She rolled her eyes at him and turned toward the elevator.

"You're lame." she accused, and pressed the button. "And I'm heading down to the labs to get a bit of work done before the torture begins."

"You mean party?" Natasha suggested from the kitchen, amused.

"No. I mean torture." Georgia corrected as she stepped into the elevator. Bruce joined her.

"Good. Leave. You two need to get a room." Clint mumbled from the kitchen, and Natasha smiled into her breakfast. Georgia scowled at him and sent a quick shock through the metal beams in the floor, up the legs of the chair, and straight into his ass. He yelped.

"You should get that mumbling problem fixed, Hawk." she suggested blandly, and the elevator doors closed, beginning it's decent.

"So... guess what Tony got me as a New Year's present." Bruce suddenly said, looking sheepish. Georgia turned to him and raised an eyebrow.

"Condoms." she guessed, and he laughed. "Birth control? Lingerie? Is it sexual in nature? Is it bigger than a bread box?"

Bruce laughed harder, and shook his head. "He, uh, actually came through with a counteractive medication to keep my heartrate down in semi-stressful situations in which I need to control the Other Guy." he told her, holding up a bottle of pills. "I take one a day, and it keeps my heartrate at an acceptable rate at all times."

Georgia grinned happily. "That's wonderful." she said enthusiastically. "But how will you... change when you need to?"

"Well I hope I will never have to in the near future." he confessed. "But if I do, I have an epi-pen to carry with me. It immediately counteracts the drug and allows me to change. Of course, these drugs are purely experimental right now. And they aren't designed to completely subdue the Other Guy. It's a very mild depressant that will keep my heartrate at a steady, standard rate in everyday life so I won't have to constantly check my heartrate. Especially when I'm with you."

Georgia smiled and felt warm all of a sudden. "But... Isn't that a bit... counterproductive? What if someone knows you're the H- the Other Guy and purposefully injects you?" she asked, walking out of the elevator towards their respective labs.

Bruce smirked. "I'm pretty good at defending myself as Bruce Banner, contrary to popular belief." he joked, opening the door to his lab. "And it won't be the kind of drug to make me change instantaneously. My heartrate still has to spike. And I am rather good at controlling myself, shockingly enough."

Georgia stopped and thought for a moment. "You don't have to be angry all the time anymore." she said quietly, caressing the side of his face with her palm. He took that hand and kissed her knuckles softly, yet sadly.

"Go work." he said suddenly, changing the subject. "I'll see you at the party."

"Torture." Georgia corrected, opening the door to her own lab. "Never a party." With that, she disappeared into her beautiful lab to work on her projects.

Georgia, once again, lost track of the time. When she looked up at the clock, it was fifteen minutes until the party.

"Why do I always do this to myself?" she mumbled, irritated. Though she had no qualms about missing the party, she had qualms with upsetting Pepper. Or having Tony yell for her over the PA in front of three hundred guests. She raced off to her room, which felt like it took hours rather than minutes.

Georgia sprinted to her room, trying to bypass Stark and Pepper, who were in the living room.

"Is it your goal in life to steal my thunder and be late for my parties?" Tony demanded from across the room.

"No. But it will be." Georgia threatened back, flying into her bathroom and slamming the door.

She immediately started on her hair, curling it in record time. The result was feathery curls that ran down her back and framed her face. She then slapped on make up, dusting her eyelids with shimmering silver powder and lining them with a grey liner. On her lips, she decided to wear a 'ravish me red' lipstick that had somehow made it's way into her makeup bag.

Georgia hurried out to her bedroom and unzipped her dress, stepping into it and struggling to put it on correctly. She had never really been an expert on dresses, and it took her a few tries to get it fitted right and on the right way.

She grabbed the silver heels she had worn for the benefit, and deemed herself presentable. She glanced at the clock and noticed that she was, indeed, a half hour late for the party.

Exiting her room, she suddenly noticed the roar of voices throughout the house. There were people everywhere, mingling, drinking, and dancing. Georgia closed her eyes in an attempt to calm her irritated self, and stepped out into the crowd.

Women that she had never met before in her life squealed 'hello's when they met her, and strange men kissed her hand as she waded through the sea of strangers. She smiled as politely as she could, but made a beeline for the second floor to grab a drink.

She ordered a rum and coke, making it a point to keep it in her hand. There was a large group of people dancing on the multi-colored disco floor that had suddenly appeared in her house. She rolled her eyes at the audacity of Stark and the unsavory displays of dancing she saw on the floor.

"Is this what my life has been reduced to?" she mumbled to herself, taking a long drink of her alcohol. "My life is a joke."

As she turned to find someone - anyone - she knew, she spotted Steve talking to a rather pretty young woman with honey brown hair and crystal blue eyes. She was wearing a modest white dress, and they seemed to be pretty comfortable.

She approached them cautiously. "Hey, Steve." she said pleasantly, glancing at the girl.

He immediately blushed slightly. "Hi, Georgia." he murmured, and also glanced at the woman he was with. "This... is Sarah."

Georgia's face lit up, and she made an extra effort to be kind to this girl. Steve was her friend, and one of the kindest people she'd ever known. The fact that this girl made him happy... well, it made her happy too. Strange.

Besides... she had to make up for any of Stark's antics. She didn't want this girl scared away.

"Hello, Sarah." she said kindly, shaking the younger girl's hand warmly. "I'm Georgia McGuiness, it's wonderful to meet you."

"Sarah Falkner, ma'am." she responded, having a light British accent. "It's excellent to meet you, as well. I've heard so much about you. And not just what the news says. You really are something."

Georgia didn't want to talk about her 'alter ego', but smiled graciously. "Thank you." she said, despite herself. "You obviously know all about what I do. What do you?"

"I'm a teacher. A special education teacher, actually. I work at St. Mary's Elementary School." she responded, taking a sip of her... it looked like Mountain Dew. "I'm afraid I'm not quite as impressive as you or Steve."

"You're amazing." Steve murmured close to her ear, and blushed when Georgia smirked at him. "She works to help children with autism and learning disabilities. She's the best in the city. Probably the world." Georgia studied his face and found the affection written plainly on it as he spoke of her. It made her smile.

Sarah smiled nervously, and blushed. "Oh please, Steve." she said humbly, and it wasn't the kind of humble that comes from those who secretly enjoy the praise and want to hear more. It was pure and not tainted by falsehood. "Really. I'm not that great."

"I'm sure you're everything he says and more." Georgia insisted, and then spotted Bruce over at the bar. "Don't doubt yourself. It was wonderful to meet you, Sarah. Have fun. I hope to see you more often." She waved with her free hand and walked over to where Bruce was leaning on the bar.

"Recognize me this time?" she teased as she approached, and he grinned as his eyes roamed her body and face.

"I'm sorry, beautiful stranger," he said, straightening his face. "I'm not sure if we've been aquainted... but we better get out of here before my girlfriend sees us..."

Georgia rolled her eyes. "I hope you're kidding. Because if I ever caught you with someone else you'd be higher on my shit list than Anthony. And that, my dear, is quite a feat." she warned, leaning against the bar close to him.

Bruce grinned and placed his free arm around her waist as he sipped his drink. Club soda.

"Still no alcohol?" Georgia said critically, eyeing his glass.

He shrugged. "Habit, I suppose. And I really don't like not having control of myself, even when there is no lurking danger." he explained, sipping his club soda. "Besides. If this pill doesn't work... I like this suit."

Georgia hummed in response and swept her eyes over him. "You look alright, I suppose." she said, voice aloof, mocking him slightly.

"Thanks." came his sarcastic answer, and she grinned up at him.

"Oh, and have you met Sarah?" she asked, glancing over at the couple. They looked positively radiant together.

"I have, actually. She's incredibly sweet." Bruce commented, glancing over as well. "A perfect match for him."

"Wait, she's 'sweet'?" Georgia demanded, though she was kidding. She didn't feel the need for jealousy as other women did, though she liked to tease Bruce about it.

"Please. She's like twenty-two." he snorted, looking down at you. "I still don't know how I feel about you being twenty-nine."

"Thirty." she reminded him, though it was hard to wrap her mind around. "My birthday was last month."

"Fourty-three." Bruce said smugly. "My birthday was last month, too."

Georgia raised her eyebrows. "And you didn't tell me?" she demanded, unperturbed by the age difference.

"That's what you got out of that?" Bruce laughed, shaking his head. "Not the fact that I'm thirteen years older than you? Besides, you didn't mention your birthday to me, either."

Georgia shrugged, ignoring the second comment.. "Do I seem like the kind of person to care?" she asked, sipping her drink. He smiled and shook his head in negation.

"Exactly." she confirmed, rolling her eyes at him.

"So do you want to dance?" he suggested, motioning to the crowd of guests already doing so. Georgia took one look at the sweaty people, gyrating hips, and hiked up skirts and scowled.

"Uh... no." she said, her voice disgusted by the display. "Besides. That isn't dancing."

"Oh please. You can't tell me you've never done that." Bruce teased, nudging her.

"Well I've never done THAT." Georgia insisted, gesturing with her chin to a woman who was currently Jersey Turnpiking. "Are these people in their thirties or have they been turned back into teenagers?"

"Alcohol does that." Bruce said, shrugging. "It's magical like that."

Georgia glared her drink with a critical eye, then shrugged and took a sip. "At least for idiots." she retorted, and turned her eyes away from the scene on the dance floor. She was about to say something else, when a hand suddenly pulled her out into the crowd of people.

She shouted in protest as the song changed to 'You Shook Me All Night Long' by AC/DC. She knew exactly who it was.

"No, Anthony!" she yelled over the noise as Stark put his hands to her hips and started to make her dance. "I don't dance! Especially not with you."

"You danced fine enough at my benefit." he reminded her as people around her started to jump around screaming the lyrics to the chorus. She was surprised that he was merely buzzed.

"You forced me to dance then, too." she growled, and he grabbed her hands to swing her around. Georgia wrenched them away and tried to stomp away, but they were literally surrounded by people jumping and screaming. Most of them were trying to get closer to Tony like this.

"You danced with Mr. Angry." Tony said smugly, grabbing her hand and twirling her. Georgia scowled.

"I like Bruce." she reminded him, equally as smugly. "You irritate me."

"Come on, just relax. It's New Years' Eve. Have fun." he commanded, and started shouting the lyrics in an outrageous voice. Georgia pursed her lips, and raised an eyebrow at him as he forced her to move with the music.

"You're ruining my favorite band." she shouted, and he grinned with a surprised look.

"You like AC/DC?" he asked, completely taken aback. She scowled at him.

"Don't act so surprised." she hissed, and he only laughed.

"C'mon, Georgie. Just sing along." Tony asked, and started shouting the lyrics. "Had to cool me down to take another round! Back in the ring to take another swing!"

Georgia let a small smile creep on her face as he made the most outrageous faces and voices as he serenaded her. As he hit the next two lines, she was fighting not to laugh.

"...shaking, we were making it!" he said, whirling with her.

Suddenly, Georgia just gave in and laughed outright. She grinned wider than she ever had for Tony, and proceeded to shout the chorus with him.

"You shook me allllll niiiightt loooong!" she howled, laughing and jumping with the rest of the people around her and tossing her head back in forth.

"Yeeeeahh yoooou! Shook me allll niiiightt lonnnngg!" Tony screeched with her, and they fell into laughter as they spent the rest of the song jumping and stepping on people and not apologizing or even caring.

They came out sweating and Georgia with a grin plastered on her face.

"Tell nobody." Georgia commanded through her teeth as they approached Bruce.

"What? That you have the ability to have fun? Yes, ma'am!" he mocked her, and threw an arm around her shoulders as they came in front of Bruce.

Georgia scoffed, ducking out from under Tony's arm and taking her place back next to Bruce.

"You, sir, are abhorrent." Georgia said scornfully, taking a sip of Bruce's drink, finding it unsatisfying alcohol-free.

"I prefer the term 'obnoxious'." Tony corrected smugly. "Or odious. Or abominable. Or any other of the list of colorful names you've called me."

"Oh, I've got a few colorful words for you..." Georgia growled, but before she could elaborate, Pepper appeared. She looked gorgeous, as always, Georgia noted. Her dress was bottle green, knee-length, and not what Pepper usually wore.

"Stop fighting." Pepper scolded, amused. Then she raised her voice to the entire room. "The ball drops in two minutes, everybody! Get downstairs!"

The music stopped, and everybody hurried downstairs. Tony, Pepper, Georgia, Bruce, Steve, Sarah, Natasha, and Clint all stood in the front of the room, right in front of the huge screen projecting the New Years celebrations in breath-taking HD.

The room suddenly exploded in sound as everyone started to count down. The feeling was infectious, and Georgia found herself shouting the numbers with the others with a smirk on her face. \

"Three! Two! One! Happy New Year!" the room hollered, and everybody turned to find someone to kiss. Georgia saw Steve pull Sarah to him shyly and kiss her softly, Tony dip Pepper romantically, and even Clint wrapping his arms around Natasha to kiss her. At the same time, Georgia felt an arm wrap around her waist, and found her lips against Bruce's in a heartbeat. Georgia laughed softly into the kiss and pressed her forehead to his to meet her eyes with his.

"Happy New Year." he whispered, brushing his lips against hers again. His hands tightened on her waist.

"Gl ckliches neues Jahr." she answered softly.

...  
I think this is adorable. ADORABLE CHAPTER ALERT.  
But no sex. Hmmm. Well, I just wasn't feeling it. I don't want their first time to be like HAY LETZ HVE LE SEX. It's gotta mean something. Especially for people in their position. I highly doubt Bruce just 'fucks' with his condition... when he could suddenly turn green and rampaging. That's called 'unsafe' sex, children.

So go to my profile and read the update I posted. It announces my new series, which is called Avenge the Love. Basically, it's gonna be me writing Canon/OC stories for all of the characters in the same way that CB is being written now, and Heroic Couplet, (Steve/Sarah) Will be written. They are both part of Avenge the Love.

So go read the details on that. And note: even though I'm doing this series, that doesn't mean that there won't be a sequel to Circuit Breaker once it's done. There very well might be. So did you like this? It took me days to finish this. Did you like the brief 'hello' we had to Sarah? Did you like how Georgia started being a bit more loose? I mean... Tony may irritate her, but I feel as though he can teach her a lot about forgiving herself and being a child at heart. Like him! Yay!

Oh, and how about Bruce being 13 years older than Georgia? Yeah. Purdy great, huh? I was thinking about changing it to like 37, but then I'm like... no. Georgia wouldn't care. Do YOU care?:o

OKAY. Don't forget to review, and/or PM me! I'd love to hear anything you have to say! And thanks for the 216 reviews! Wow!

Love

Jess

1/15/13 11:46pm turd fergeson: Yes, I have read Which Me Do You Like, and wow... that was totally accidental. I hadn't even realized that I'd used that little tidbit of Scruffy-Nerf-Herder's until you pointed it out to me. So lemme trademark that. That epipen idea, though used in the opposite fashion, is Scruffy's idea, and not mine. Hope you don't mind, hon! I wasn't intentionally stealin' yo' shtuff. I can always delete it if you prefer, but I shall keep it the way it is until you ask me otherwise! I have the upmost respect for anyone else's work, and that's not my idea. Thanks for reading, turd fergeson! And thanks for pointing that out! 


	22. Chapter 22

**Warning. Lemon! I'll have stars around where the more intense stuff begins so if you are squeamish, you can skip it. I'm not going to say 'Don't read if you're under 16!' or whatever, cause I can't really stop you. But c'mon, kiddies. Don't scar yourself emotionally. **

Georgia and Bruce were sleeping peacefully in their bed. In the last week since the New Year's party, they had decided to forego separate rooms all together. Bruce moved his belongings into Georgia's room, as she had the bigger bed and more room.

As always, they were wrapped up in each others' arms, and they were completely unconscious... when an explosion shocked them violently out of their respective dreams. They shot up, eyes wild and staring around to find the source.

"What the fuck!" Georgia shouted as another explosion sounded, rocking the building with its' force.

Tony poked his head in the room with a wild look in his eyes. "Yeah, so there's some freaks attacking the city. Suit up." he said briskly, and ran out. Georgia and Bruce turned to look at each other, and threw the covers off themselves.

"I don't do heroics." Georgia mumbled, following Bruce out to the living room. Natasha, Clint, and Steve were all milling around, half dressed in their uniforms.

"Well you do now." Clint said sourly, glaring at her as he adjusted his archery gloves. Another explosion sounded. "You're a public figure. Either you show up and fry some bad guys, or your face is all over the papers under the title 'Where Was She?'"

"And I care because..." Georgia asked, crossing her arms stubbornly.

"Because stop being a bitch, that's why!" Clint shouted, and ran off with Natasha. Georgia snorted, and looked up at Bruce.

"I don't have armor." she said, trying to find a way to not have to leave. Tony flew threw the room in his Iron Man suit. Georgia wondered if that was the best idea.

"Check your closet." he said shortly, and then zoomed up the stairs and presumably out the bay windows.

Georgia stalked to her closet, and realized that in the back of it stood a large metal wardrobe. She pressed a button, and a full body catsuit stood waiting for her on a mannequin. It was black leather, with dusty-silver metal armor that went around her torso, stopping at her hips. The next piece were like a pair of metal thigh-high boots.

The gloves were to her elbow, and stopped right before the palms of her hands. Her hands were left uncovered to allow the flow of electricity. All this metal was light enough to not weigh her down, but thick and sturdy enough to protect her from blows.

A new mask very similar to her original, makeshift mask sat on the mannequin's face. It had an earpiece, designed to connect with her teammates' automatically.

A note was taped to the neck. It read:

_Happy New Year. I was going to give you thrusters to make you fly... but then again a flying Georgia is quite a terrifying thought. And that's my thing. So enjoy the suit none the less. _

_The Asshole_

Georgia snorted at the note and debated just not wearing it and not helping. Then she thought how she would let her roommates down by refusing to help with whatever was out there.

Swearing, she put on the suit, and walked out to meet Bruce, who was still waiting for her.

"Don't come down unless it's desperate. Please." she asked, not wanting him to go through the transformation or suffer the consequences of what the Hulk may do. He nodded, and kissed her quickly as she headed towards the bay windows on the top floor.

"Stark, what's happening?" she said into the piece. Another explosion sounded.

"We don't know. Just... explosions." Stark answered.

"Come get me." she commanded. Tony appeared instantaniously, and held her tightly as he flew off where the other Avengers were perched on the building. This transportation was much less terrifying than her flight via Hulk Airlines way back when.

When they got back with the others, Georgia realized that there were no people around. Only craters where the bombs had gone off.

"They're just going off periodically." Natasha said, glancing around with a critical eye. "It's more of a demonstration than an attack."

Another explosion went off, and Georgia wobbled around as she lost her footing. Steve grabbed her arms to keep her from falling off the building.

"Then why are we out here? It's not exactly an Avengers' problem." Georgia grumbled.

"You're right, it's something the police should deal with." Steve agreed with her.

Tony, in his suit, turned to look at them. "It's around the Avengers' HQ. It's obviously meant for us." his slightly more mechanical voice said.

"Or Georgia." Clint said, eyes still sweeping the area. "It could be Griffin."

Georgia frowned. "But why would they just blow up sections of the street?" she asked.

"To get your attention." Natasha suggested. "They obviously want you to know that they're not hiding."

"But what's the point?" Georgia fumed, glaring at the streets.

"To show that they aren't afraid of us." Steve said confidently. "They know who you are, they know where you are, and they know what you're a part of. And they don't care."

Georgia tensed at the thought. "Why don't they do something then?" she demanded, looking around. The explosions had stopped.

"To scare YOU." Stark said a-matter-of-factly. "I'm going to check the perimeter. Just head back home." He flew off, and Georgia walked back to the Tower alongside Steve. Clint and Natasha stayed back to check the perimeter as well.

"Captain America! Battery!" a young voice called to them as they headed for the building. A young child ran up to them, with his parents close behind. "What's wrong? Danger? Can I help?"

Steve smiled at the young boy. "Nope, no danger. But next time, alright?" he said kindly, and Georgia couldn't help but smile at his tone.

"Okay! I'm Mikey!" the boy said proudly. "And I'm your two's biggest fan ever! Can I have your autographs?"

Steve was happy to sign the scrap of paper that the parents produced. Georgia signed 'Battery' right underneath his.

"Thank you, Captain, Battery." The father said, taking his son's hand along with with wife's.

"No problem at all, sir." Steve said, smiling down at Mikey. He waved frantically as they walked away. Georgia and Steve entered the building and took the elevator up to the penthouse with their keycard.

"You're so good with the kids." Georgia commented as they waited for the elevator to reach their floor.

Steve smiled and shrugged. "I like them. They're so innocent and extraordinarily happy just to meet us. It's humbling, I guess." he told her as they entered their penthouse.

Georgia smiled up at him as she tripped off her mask, and started on the rest of the metal on her body.

Bruce entered the room. "What happened?" he asked, sipping a cup of coffee.

"Nothing." Georgia told him, walking into their room as Steve headed into his to change. "Tony thinks it was Griffin, though."

Bruce looked concerned. "Griffin? Why?" he asked, turning his eyes away as Georgia stripped off her suit.

Georgia was about to answer when she noticed that he wasn't looking at her. "Bruce." she said softly, turning towards him. "You can look at me."

He slowly turned his head to look at her. She was only in her underclothes, she smiled at him. He didn't say anything, so she decided to just continue changing.

She turned to her drawer to find a suitable t-shirt to wear, when she hear Bruce move to stand behind her. He traced his hand up her arm, pressing a light kiss to her shoulder. Georgia smiled softly, turning to face him, back against her dresser.

Immediately, his lips were on hers. She smiled, wrapping her arms around his neck as his calloused hands went around her back.

"You are so beautiful." he mumbled against her lips. She smiled again, her eyes swooping upwards to meet his. His lips traveled down her face, meeting her neck in the next heartbeat. She sighed, running a hand through his thick hair. He sucked on her skin lightly, and a breathy moan escaped her lips.

(LALALALALALALALAAAA M RATING STARTS HERE. LOOK AWAAAAY)

His hands went to her hips, and he pulled her backwards towards the bed. He turned she sat on the bed, moving backwards to give him room to crawl on top of her.

His lips returned to hers, and Georgia wrapped her legs around his waist as he hand went behind her back to unclip her bra. He threw it off the side of the bed, and stared at her body for a bit before his hand slid up to cup her breast. He exhaled slowly.

"Are you okay?" Georgia asked softly. He smiled and nodded.

"It's just strange... not having to worry about it as much..." he confessed. "I like it." He pressed his lips to hers once more, this time turning it passionate. His hand kneaded her breast as his other reach down to cup her womanhood over her black panties.

Georgia moaned softly at his touch, keeping her voice low. It WAS the middle of the day, after all.

Bruce's lips returned to her neck, then proceeded downwards. His hand hesitantly slipped under her panties, caressing her folds softly as his lips met with the rosy nub on her breast. He didn't linger for long, however, and slowly kissed his way down her toned stomach, to meet his hand down south. His eyes never left hers, and she squirmed slightly in anticipation.

He peeled her panties off slowly, and, with his eyes still locked on hers, bent his head to suckle on her womanhood. Georgia gasped, her back arching at the feeling.

"Bruce." she sighed as one of his fingers found her entrance. Her hands tangled in his hair.

"I love it when you say my name like that." he mumbled, his voice gruff and sexy and it made Georgia shiver. She had never really seen him in this situation before. The transformation was astounding.

His mouth met again with her flower, and she groaned from the back of her throat as another digit was thrust into her. She was absorbed in her estacsy, feeling her peak rising as he sucked harder and moved his fingers faster.

It came upon her like a tidal wave, she cried out in pleasure as it rocked her body with its' force. Georgia gasped as she rode it out, eyes shut tight and mouth open in shock.

Bruce slid up from his position as she caught her breath. She opened her eyes and smirked at him.

"Wow." she said simply, and kissed his lips as her hands went to his button-down shirt. She made quick work of the buttons and his slipped it off, throwing it off the side of the bed. He unbuckled his belt in the same breath and slid his dress pants down and off along with his boxers.

They were finally completely unclothed together. Georgia's eyes swept over him, pausing at his manhood. It wasn't overly large, but he was by no means small, either. She reached a hand around his neck and pulled him down to kiss him more.

As he took his position at her entrance, his eyes met with hers in question of permission. She nodded, but tensed up slightly as she felt the tip prod her.

"Are you okay?" it was his turn to ask her. Georgia smiled softly.

"Yes... it's just been a while. Y'know." she said absently.

"Georgia. We don't have to." he reminded her, retreating slightly. She shook her head, smiling again.

"I want to." she reminded him, and with that he sheathed himself in her in a quick stroke. It had been a while, longer for Bruce, and the feeling made them both pause momentarily.

Soon enough, Bruce began moving within her slowly. Georgia exhaled, relishing the feeling as her body conformed to the long-forgotten feeling of a man. Her hands encircled his face as his held her hips. The room was filled with the sounds of their heavy breathing and occasional moans.

"Georgia..." he said softly, already feeling his peak coming along.

"Bruce." she answered in turn, meeting his every thrust with her hips and squeezing her eyes shut at the feeling of pure pleasure. Although she had just been at her peak not ten minutes ago, she felt hers rising as well.

**(AND ITS NOW SAFE TO READ.)**

Suddenly, his groans became more animalistic. They sounded more... like the Hulk.

"Bruce?" Georgia asked, feeling her body tense as she realized what may be happening. "Bruce!"

He realized it as well, feeling the change take over him. He rolled away from her, onto the ground. He convulsed there, feeling his muscles clench and spasm as he tried to fight it back.

"Bruce..." Georgia said softly, though she was terrified. "Please. You have to fight it."

Bruce looked up at her, his eyes still human, in panic. He shouted out as his skin took on a green hue. Georgia slipped down onto the floor, to kneel next to him as pain spasmed throughout his body. She hesitantly wrapped her arms around his body, hugging him from behind.

"You have me. I'm not leaving you." she told him, pressing her face against his naked back. She would not leave him unless it was definite that he would change. He could still do it. He could fight it.

"Look at me." she commanded, and he turned his face to the side. He didn't want her to see him this way. He turned back around as a fresh round of convulsions overtook his body.

"Please, Bruce." she whispered, turning his greener face to hers as she held him from behind. He was fighting it, but it wouldn't last. It couldn't. It never did. The Hulk always won.

"I love you." she whispered, and Bruce's eyes widened. He pushed her away from him. She looked at him, hurt by this actions. He was rejecting her?

"Run." he commanded her sadly, his voice distorted. She glared at him and crossed her arms.

"No." she said stubbornly, kneeling down again next to him. "I love you, Bruce. Every part of you. He's a part of you just as much."

Bruce's eyes were pained as he fought back the oncoming transformation. "Georgia..." his distorted voice started, before crying out in pain. This was taking longer than usual. Why wasn't he changing?

"Do you love me, Bruce?" she asked quietly.

He couldn't look at her. She tried again. "I asked, do you love me?" she said again, turning his face to look right in her eyes.

"Yes." he admitted, voice becoming more normal as he spoke. "I love you, Georgia."

"Then the Hulk loves me too." she told him, though she had no idea if this was true or not. "Why should I be afraid of something that loves me?" But she was. She was terrified.

The spasms seemed to be calming down. "I'm not leaving you." she said again, smiling at him. With a last spasm, he collapsed on the floor on his side, unconscious but altogether, human.

For the first time, Georgia truly realized what it was to be in love with Bruce Banner. The uncertainty and the fear that came with it was inescapable.

Georgia leaned her back against the side of the bed, brought her knees to her chest, and wept.

...

WHOA. HOW DID A SIMPLE SEX SCENE TURN INTO THAT?

I don't even know, guys. Like I was writing the scene and all of a sudden I pictured him just turning into the Other Guy as they were... doing it. That would have been scarring. Emotionally and physically. Haha I'm funny.

Kind of some deep stuff in here. I hope ya'll enjoyed it. That was my first sex scene in a WHILE so please excuse how sucky it is.

Uhhh... what else to say...

Can't think of anything. So, as always, don't forget to review slash PM me with anything you might want or need to say!

I'm working on Avenge the Love details as we speak, as well as the ending to Circuit Breaker. Whoa that's weird to say.

There may be a sequel. But I'm thinking probably not. I don't like sequels. They're never as good as the original, unless we're talking Hunger Games cause Catching Fire was mindblowingly better than Hunger Games. And HG was fucking amazing already.

OKAY! I'm done rambling! Review! I'm about to go play me some Pokemon, so PEACE.

Jess


	23. Chapter 23

How does one simply... go on with life after something like what happened to Georgia and Bruce? She wondered this the next morning, waking up, as usual, in his warm embrace. Should she mention it, ignore it, forget it? Georgia couldn't decide.

Bruce didn't seem as perturbed about it as Georgia was. He kissed her forehead, and slid out of bed to go get breakfast. She laid there silently, pondering the events that had led them to this morning.

Sex, then a loss of control. Her declaration of love, and his return of it. Bruce falling unconscious, her sobbing.

She thought of Bruce. How she loved him, and how much that love scared her. A tear slipped down her cheek to disappear into the cotton of her pillow. She thought she heard Reed's voice echo over the fabric of her tired and guilty mind.

It must have been hours that she laid there, because the sun had become a mere faint glow by the time someone decided to disturb her. She opened her eyes to see Tony.

"Yes, Anthony?" she sighed, rolling onto her side. She felt his weight on her bed, and a hand on her leg in comfort.

"He told me." he said slowly, and no more was needed to clarify 'who' or 'what'. It was clear enough.

When Georgia said nothing in response, he spoke again. "It was brave of you, to stay with him." Tony praised softly. "Stupid, but brave. Thanks for saving my house."

It wasn't the time for humor. Georgia clenched her jaw. "God damn it, Tony, do you have to incorporate humor into everything? It's not _funny_." she spat, sitting up sharply and throwing his hand off her leg.

"I know." he answered, shrugging. "It's a defense mechanism, what can I say? What do you want me to say?"

"I don't know, Tony." she growled, clenching the silk blankets in her fists. "I just don't know anymore."

"Would you like me to tell you that it'll get easier? Because it won't." Tony said smartly, his voice taking on a more sarcastic tone. "Would you like me to say that it'll all be over soon? Because it'll never end. This is something that, if you want you be with him, you'll have to deal with."

"Don't _lecture me_ on how to be in a relationship with a loose cannon, Anthony Stark." Georgia snapped angrily, sitting up and pointing a knawed-down nail at him. "I AM a loose cannon."

"And heeere we go, making the problem all about you!" Tony mocked, standing up. "Poor Georgia. Grow up."

Georgia stared at Tony incredulously. "Are you... honestly telling ME to grow up?" she said, her voice completely disbelieving. "Me? That's fucking hilarious, Tony. It really is, and I applaud your sense of humor. Because you have NO IDEA how traumatizing that was for me."

"For YOU?" Tony exploded, his face alive with unrestrained fury. "For YOU. How about him? He could have KILLED YOU."

"And I could have been killed!"

"Shut up! Just shut up for one fucking second, Georgia! Bruce could have killed you. The woman he admitted to both of us that he loved. And he would have been able to do NOTHING to stop it. He would have killed you, and woken up to die inside himself. He almost killed the woman he loved while expressing that love to her in the most intimate of ways. Does that not effect you, or are you just so preoccupied with your own life that you didn't think of the struggle and torture that he goes through every day in order to interact with others? Even with the new compound, he lives in fear that he'll hurt someone he loves. And that fear came to life last night."

Georgia lept up from the bed during Tony's rant. "Since when do you respect the 'most intimate way of showing love', Stark?" she spat, electricty crackling through her fingers.

"This. Is not. About. Me." Tony growled, stepping closer to her. "Don't try and make this about me. This is about Bruce. And this is about how fucking selfish you are acting."

"Selfish, huh? You think... that I don't understand... his struggle?" Georgia huffed in labored breaths. She raised a hand and sent a mild course of electricty through Tony's body.

"Need I remind you of what THAT LITTLE SHOCK did to my husband?" she yelled, and raised a hand, shocking him again. He flinched and stepped back. But she kept coming, shocking him with every step she took as a way to let off aggression and remind him of her terrible power.

"Need I remind you that I received this little GIFT through a series of excrutiating science EXPERIMENTS ON MY BODY?" she screamed. "And what continues to hurt me every time I use it? A constant reminder? A speedbump to remind me of how much of a freak, how much of a fucking DISASTER I am?"

"If you _understand _so thoroughly, then why are you acting like it's about you?" Tony yelled back, pushing away her hands which were so painfully shocking him.

"Why isn't Bruce talking to me about this?" Georgia shot back, changing the subject and deflecting the question. "This isn't about you."

"Bruce can't say what needs to be said." Tony growled, crossing his arms. "And I mean that literally. A repeat of last night is not in our best interests."

"You want me to embrace the fact that I'll have to deal with it, though, don't you?" Georgia retorted, marching out of the room to the kitchen area. "Let's embrace it."

She found Bruce sitting calmly at the table, as if expecting her. "Bruce. Why did you have to bring the child into this?" she demanded hotly, glaring at him.

He raised his eyebrows. "He asked to speak with you before I did." he said calmly, standing up. "I'm sorry."

Georgia's gaze faltered and softened. He continued, "I am so sorry that it happened, Georgia. I can't imagine... losing you... like that." he said quietly, stepping forward and putting his hands on her shoulders as tears finally fell from Georgia's eyes.

"I don't _care_, though." she mumbled, rubbing her tears away. "I want to be with you. I understand the risks. I'm just scared. We're both such... loose canons." she said, using the phrase from before.

"I don't ever want you to be afraid of me." Bruce whispered, pulling her closer and hugging her tightly.

"I'm not. I love you." Georgia murmured, pressing her face to his chest for comfort.

"I love you, too." Bruce answered.

"Awe, well isn't this cay-_ute_!" Tony said sarcastically from behind them, and Georgia's eyes snapped open in fury. She rounded on him, twisting out of Bruce's embrace and pointing a finger at him.

It all happened so fast, as her irritation spiked and all the emotion from the past two days built up inside her. As she turned to point an angry finger at Tony, her electricity shot like a bullet, straight into his arc reactor.

She realized what she had done a millisecond after it happened. Tony's eyes bulged and he gaped in pain as he clutched his arc reactor. The light has flickered, and gone out. The shrapnel was now moving directly towards his heart. He collapsed in pain.

"Tony!" Georgia screamed, running towards him. Bruce yelled in the same manner, running forward to check his pulse. Alive.

Georgia's eyes burned blue as she scanned frantically. A jolt of her power fixed the shortage, bring the arc reactor - and ultimately Stark - back to life.

He gasped for air as the pain subsided. Georgia's chest heaved as she realized just what she was capable of doing. She could have killed one of her closest friends. Tony sat up slowly, completely fine.

However, Georgia stumbled back from her kneeling position, eyes alive with horror, regret, and guilt.

"I'm the monster here." she murmured disbelievingly, staring at her hands in utter shock. SHe clenched her fists so that her nails dug deep into her flesh and drew blood.

"I'm... " she started, staring at Tony and Bruce, face ashen and body trembling. She stood up slowly, and ran straight to the elevator. She opened it only far enough to allow entry, and closed it immediately after, overriding the system so nobody could get to her.

"Georgia!" Tony and Bruce's voices mingled in their desperate cries as she did so, but were cut off with the slamming of the door. She leaned against the wall, folding her hands in the creases of her elbows.

Would she never learn? She didn't deserve love. She didn't deserve friendship. She killed her husband, and almost killed her best friend. This was the universe telling her that she was unworthy of anything other than solitude.

She had known it.

It was dark when she exited the elevator into the Stark Industries garage. She walked off, numb and unfeeling, onto the streets of New York.

Georgia didn't know how long she walked, she didn't know where she was walking. All the while, however, she was whispering rhythmically, 'Monster. Freak. Killer. Experiment. _Murderer_.' to herself.

Suddenly, through the darkness of her troubled mind, she felt a presence behind her. She turned abruptly, and recognized the person.

"Malcolm Burbage. New York Times." he said with a strange smile. "But you can call me... Griffin."

"Ulfrich Griffin." Georgia responded, voice monotone and eyes empty. "I should have known." The last thing she heard was his pleasant laughter as a sting erupted on her neck, and everything went black.

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SHWELL. Soooo muuuuchhhh draaaaammaaaa.

Lemme know what you think. I'm like half asleep and still have a shitton of homework to do. Thanks for reading and thanks for any insight you may have. I love you all!

Jess


	24. Chapter 24

Waking up in a dark room, strapped to a cold metal table with your arms and legs extended and hands and feet constrained with some type of metal balls may not look scary in any movie except the Saw franchise. For Georgia, however, it was fucking terrifying.

She craned her neck painfully to see what he hands were inserted into, and they seemed to be a form of capsule. Her hands and feet were complete encased. Georgia tried to shake the drug-induced wooziness from her mind, to no avail. Whatever she had been injected with, it wasn't some type of pansy-ass ZzQuil to knock her out. No, these were hardcore drugs that kept her mind drifting and confused, even while conscious.

"I see you've finally awakened." that same pleasant voice murmured, though it seemed far, far away. Georgia's eyes closed reflexively as a light was shone in her eyes. It reminded her of the first time she kissed Bruce.

_Bruce..._

"Terribly sorry." Ulfrich's voice murmured again, and the light was moved from directly on her face. Georgia's eyes opened again, and found that he was standing over her. His face was blurry, but she knew it to be him. Ulfrich Griffin. With a jolt, she realized that she had known his face before she even knew him as 'Malcolm Burbage'. It was like a far-off memory, a scattered dream. She had met him once before, during her experimentation days with her adoptive 'parents'. Georgia had been drugged and in a lot of pain at that time, as well. She cursed herself for not piecing it together earlier.

"What do you want?" she asked him, words slurred and slowed. Her mind was slowly returning to full consciousness, but it would take a while for her to push through the drug. It scared her; the measures which had been taken. They were not playing around.

"What I have always wanted. You." Ulfrich said simply, sitting down at the corner of the table she was strapped to. "And it has taken me a long time to finally meet with you once more."

"You could have made an appointment." Georgia slurred, an attempt at being sarcastic. A pathetic one, considering her state at the moment.

None the less, Griffin laughed lightly. "Of course. But I fear that you would not have taken kindly to meeting with me." he told her. "I apologize for the measures taken."

"Liar." Georgia spat, the gift of speach returning rapidly now. Her mind was pushing through the haze. "You had a child experimented on and tortured."

Ulfrich's grey eyebrows shot up. "I daresay that you are not pleased with my gift, Georgia." he said. "The only one to receive it, I might add."

"The only one to survive it." Georgia corrected.

"Yes, such a terrible shame." Ulfrich sighed, standing up again. "Such wonderful gifts I had to give, as such."

"Oh I'll show you a wonderful gift..." Georgia mumbled, almost fully aware, now. She conjured sparks in her hands, but as she tried to project them into the technology holding her hands, they suddenly turned bright blue... and sent a terrible current of electricity back at Georgia.

She screamed, high pitched and desperate. It was the most acute pain she had ever felt in her life. And it wasn't stopping. Her throat was sore by the time it ended, the blue lights fading as her chest heaved and tears stained her cheeks.

Ulfrich Griffin tsked in disapproval. "And I suppose you thought we wouldn't take precautions regarding that form of behavior?" he questioned, as if scolding a small child.

Georgia glared at him, every cell in her body alive with pain.

"This isn't a 'shotgun' procedure, if you will." he informed her lightly, pacing closer. "We have been planning your recovery since the day you blew up my laboratory. Every precaution as been taken. No circumstance has been left unaccounted for. Save your energy, Georgia."

When she didn't reply, he continued.

"If you're wondering, you've just endured what it feels like to be shocked by a thousand volts of your special, synthesized electricty." Griffin informed her, glancing at her pained face. "Approximately the amount that killed Reed Bennet. How curious."

"Why didn't I die, then?" Georgia demanded, feeling sweat trickle down her face. Her body still buzzed with pain. She was struck with the notion that she had just felt what it was like to die for Reed. Guilt once again racked her mind.

"Just as your electricity doesn't kill you when you synthesize it, it won't kill you when you're struck by it." he explained, touching the device around her left hand lightly. "But it will hurt. As demonstrated. But even if you are pumped with ten thousand volts and upwards, you will be immune to death by your synthetic electricty. But I'd rather not try to explain the magnitude of pain you will experience from that amount."

"I really am quite surprised that you made it so easy to locate you," the man continued after Georgia simply glared at him. "Pleasantly, of course. I'm just glad we were correct in our assumption of your identity. Otherwise, a rather sizeable amount of people would have been killed in that train wreck."

"You would kill a hundred people in the pursuit of one?" Georgia demanded.

"It would be a waste, to say the least." Ulfrich said dismissively, looking thoughtful. "What can I say? We had to investigate the claims. I do not trust anything on the internet or the television. I see everything for myself, first hand. Even then I took a strand of your hair to make sure you were the one we were searching for."

"I destroyed your files when I killed Scott and Beatrice Stefanowitz." she snapped. "You couldn't have had anything to confirm that."

"I did not use it for comparison." UIfich correctly gently. "For study. A synthetic X-Gene is like a scar of your DNA. We compared your genetic code to that of a natural X-Gene, and of a mortal. The abnormalities could only be the synthetic gene."

"You just thought of everything, didn't you." Georgia growled, flexing her hands inside the pods.

"I've had over ten years. As I said, no circumstance left unaccounted for." Griffin reminded her easily, smiling down at her. "I must say, though, I was quite impressed with your revulsion of the title 'hero'. My guess had been that living with Tony Stark would have warped your mind to embrace fame in the guise of a hero."

"I'm not a hero. I'm a monster. I've killed people." Georgia snapped.

"Just as you were intended to do." Ulfrich commended pleasantly. "You consider it a terrible thing, yet that's exactly your purpose it life. You were created for that reason."

"I wasn't created, I was made." Georgia correctly him angrily. "I wasn't born to kill people. I was made this way. By you. By the Stefanowitzes."

"What were you born for, then?" Ulfrich suddenly asked. "You don't even know where your true parentage lies."

That stung. "Nobody is born to kill." Georgia hissed.

"But alas, they kill anyway." Ulfrich reminded her, smiling.

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"I think we need to find Georgia, Tony." Bruce told Tony late the same night. She had been gone for a full day already. They supposed she had gone to Pepper's to hide from them. Where else would she had gone?

Tony gave Bruce a look of equal concern. "I agree." he said, picking up his phone to call Pepper.

"Hey, is Georgia there with you?" he asked casually when she answered. His face was overcome with concern when the answer was negative.

"What? No, no problem. Just asking. Yep. Uh-huh. I'll see you later. I love you too."

Bruce looked worried. "Not there?"

"No." Tony said seriously, getting up. "But I'll find her. Don't tell her I told you this, but I inserted a small tracking chip into her after the threat of this Griffin character was brought to our attention."

Bruce cocked an eyebrow and followed Tony upstairs. "How did you manage that?" he asked disapprovingly.

"Very, very carefully." he explained, stepping on the switch to have JARVIS put on his Iron Man suit. As he walked, it was put on piece by piece as Bruce watched.

As soon as he was fully online, he opened the tracker menu, and found Georgia's name.

"You don't have one in me... do you?" Bruce suddenly asked.

"Nope, don't wanna risk the big guy. Besides, I doubt it'd be too terribly hard to find you. Just follow the trail of wreckage."

"I've got her." he suddenly said, finding her signal on his map. "I'll try and talk to her. I'll call if I need you." With that, his helmet went down, and he was off through the night.

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Georgia screamed again as she felt the agony of her synthetic electricity coursing through every nerve in her body. Her back arched against her restraints. Ulfrich tsked again once she calmed down.

"What do you think you're going to prove?" he asked, and for the first time his voice was slightly unpleasant. "No matter how much energy you put into trying to destroy that, no matter how many volts of electricity you send through the circuits, the only reward you will reap is the rebounding of your immense power."

Georgia didn't answer, her whole body heaving with the effort of breathing.

"You know, I really am impressed with you, Georgia. You should consider joining our little group." Ulfrich continued, his voice pleasant again.

"You mean if I survive the process of you extracting the synthetic genetic code from my unwilling body?" Georgia asked sourly.

Ulfrich laughed, nodding. "Yes, yes very good. But I find that being as exceptional as you are, and surviving the process as a mere child, you'll be just fine."

"Or we could just brainwash you." Ulfrich continued. "Though that's what went wrong in Project X's case. Wolverine didn't like that notion. It's funny, really. You two are quite alike."

Georgia didn't like being compared to Wolverine.

"Or, we could just kill you." Ulfrich continued still, smiling all the way. "Once we have your genetic code, it's really an inconvenience to have you around if you're not part of GRIFFIN. It would be quite a shame, and quite a waste, however."

"You certainly like to talk, don't you?" Georgia snapped angrily, hating the way he discussed taking her life in such an aloof manner.

"Yes, like the stereotypical villain of all superhero movies. I like to talk and talk, which gives you time to figure out how to defeat me all while I reveal the intricate workings of my plan." Griffin continued mockingly. "As such, I will tell you that with your genetic code, I will be able to create my army of synthetic mutants. With it, I will be exterminating the X-Men and all those who display the X-Gene."

He leaned closer, smiling. "Figure out out to defeat me yet?"

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Tony zoomed through the night sky, following the signal to a street not too far from Stark Industries. When he didn't see her immediately, he landed. He flipped up his mask, and looked around with his normal vision.

"Georgia?" he called tenatively, looking around for her. "Georgia, it's fine. We all still love you. Come home."

When no answer came, he sighed and put his mask back on to follow the tracker to the exact location. Tony was surprised to find that Georgia should be right behind him. He turned abruptly, but nobody was there.

Walking closer, he stood right in front of where her signal was eminating from. He looked down, and saw a small device on the ground. He kneeled, and picked it up.

Tony suddenly realized that it was covered in blood and a sizeable amount of skin. Georgia's skin. He gripped his fist, and took off towards home.

He landed, having the suit taken off rapidly. He ran into his penthouse and found Bruce, Steve, Natasha and Clint waiting for him.

"You got the band back together, good." Tony commented as he entered. "I found the tracker. Only problem is, Georgia wasn't attached to it."

"Could she have ripped it out?" Clint asked, concerned. Tony shook his head.

"No. It was in the middle of her back, in that place it's impossible to scratch."

"Could she have done some technlogic tampering and gotten it out?" Steve asked, also concerned.

"I suppose. She knew I had it in there, you can't hide a piece of technology from a technopath for long. But she understood why I put it in; in response to this GRIFFIN threat." Stark continued, pacing the room a bit.

"Then maybe she just wants to be alone, Tony." Bruce offered quietly.

"It looks like it had been ripped out of her, Bruce. There's a sizeable amount of skin and blood." Tony said, holding out the tracker along with the gore. "What if GRIFFIN got to her?"

"Let's not be hasty, Stark. This could just be the act of a desperate woman." Steve said calmly, standing up.

"You know what, Mister Rogers Neighborhood? I don't find that very likely. Georgia is scared as hell to be found by GRIFFIN. She wouldn't risk being taken with no way of us finding her just because of this situation. She's smarter than that." Stark argued.

Steve looked conflicted. "We can't just throw accusations around. We don't have any proof." he said uncertainly. "We can't just launch a full-scale operation to find her without solid proof."

"Here's some proof; this piece of torn skin that was ripped from her back!" Tony yelled. "I don't care that it's not 'concrete' to you, Rogers. This organization has been looking for Georgia since she was 18 years old. They're going to take the first opprotunity to retrieve her."

"Should we call Xavier?" Bruce asked, also standing up. "He said that the X-Men couldn't get involved... but..."

"But they already have Georgia. SHIELD can't say they the X-Men could prove further risk of completing the synthetic X-Gene with a capture. They've already got what they want, we need to get her back." Natasha said, her voice concerned but professional at the same time.

"Let's call Xavier."

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"That's your whole plan, destroying the X-Gene?" Georgia demanded.

"Must I really play the stereotypical villain further? Very well. The X-Gene is unpredicable and dangerous. You don't know who is going to be born with nuclear powers. With the synthetic Gene, it is controlled." he explained. "It all must be within control."

"A play for control, alright." Georgia mumbled.

"And, of course, it will be used as a way of controlling the entire world. But that's just a bonus. I find that setting out to control the world with no real purpose besides just wanting to rule doesn't work out. Just look at that Loki character." Ulfrich continued, pacing the floor. "But to have an idea to improve the world, and then using the byproducts to help yourself gain control... that'll work out just fine."

"You won't get away with it."

"And here with go, the stereotypical hero character has finaly emerged." Griffin mocked, though his voice was calm and even. "Have you even considered the rewards of joining me, or are you too thick-headed to save yourself?"

"It's rather funny that you think I'd ever even consider joining you, after everything you've done to me."

"Is that all? Pain? That it hurt to be gifted with your power? That it hurts when you foolishly try to fight back?" Ulfrich asked, voice amused. "Life is pain, Georgia."

"It's not the pain. I have another reason."

"Oh?" Ulfrich asked with an amused smile. "And that is?"

"I have a previous commitment."

"Please enlighten me."

"I'm an Avenger."

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THIS WAS SUCH A FUN CHAPTER TO WRITE OH MY GOD.

But really. Like, Ulfrich's character is so fucking fun to write.

So what'd you think? I think this chapter is rather good... if I do say so myself.

I had a lot of fun writing it, I hope you had equally as much fun reading it!

Oh, by the way, there's a poll on my profile I'd like you guys to go see and vote on. You might think I;m insane, but I was thinking about the concept during Anatomy the other day, and I thought it was a really interesting concept. And let me know WHY you voted the way you did via PM or Review. I'd be happy to discuss with you!

Have a fantastic day! I love you! Review/PM me any feedback!

Jess


	25. Chapter 25

Tony was pacing throughout the room, which was now occupied with the same three X-Men that had visited them not so long ago, as well as the Avengers. (Minus Thor. He's still on Asgard.)

Pepper sat with Steve, watching nervously as Tony paced. The room was silent.

"I don't get it. How'd this guy know that McGuiness had a chip, anyhow?" Logan growled, his eyes watching Stark pace irritably.

"Ulfrich Griffin doesn't leave any loose ends. He must have found a way to detect the tracking device." Charles offered, pressing the tips of his fingers together in thought. "He watched her for a very long time."

"Will he kill her?" Pepper asked quietly, not looking up to meet the man's eyes.

Charles sighed. "I don't know." he admitted. "I've attempted to locate and read his mind, but he has a sort of defense around wherever he's keeping her. Whenever I come into contact with it, I am unable to pass to Griffin's mind. It's somewhat like an anti-psychic shield, to put it in plain terms."

"If it emits a signal, we can probably trace it." Natasha suggested from her perch next to Clint on the kitchen counter.

"Possibly. We can ask S.H.I.E.L.D to take a look." Clint agreed, pulling out a strange cellphone-like device and making a quick call to Maria Hill at S.H.I.E.L.D headquarters.

"I trust S.H.I.E.L.D has been alerted to the problem, then?" Xavier asked.

"Yeah. They said they'll give any help we need in finding her. They're doing world-wide searches to find her or any trace of Griffin." Steve told them.

"The X-Men are also attempting locating her." Ororo agreed.

"It's taking too long!" Tony exploded, suddenly stopping his pacing to glare at everyone in the room. "She could be long dead by now, and we can't even manage to find her!"

"We're all putting our best into it." Bruce murmured, having been silent this whole time. He was just as worried and scared as the rest of them, but he had a lot more to worry about with showing powerful emotions.

"Well it's not enough." Stark spat. "And you're acting like you don't even care!"

"I don't have to yell and place misdirected blame to care, Tony." Bruce countered, his voice still calm but it quavered a bit during the word 'care'.

Tony snorted indignantly, flopping down in huff on the couch next to Pepper. His face suddenly melted into near-tears. "The last thing she said to me was that she was a monster. And I didn't tell her otherwise." he whispered, placing his head in his hands.

The room was quiet.

"This isn't the time for your own sentimentality, Stark." Wolverine's voice growled. He stood up from his leaning position and clenched his fists. "This girl has enough power in her body to create an army of powerful synthetic mutants that will have the power to destroy or to enslave the _earth_. There's not stopping them. Georgia can kill easily with her electricity, and she wasn't finished yet when she escape. Just think of ten thousand _finished_ mutants, all under that maniac's control. Unless we can find her, and _put away our own problems for the time being_, we're basically fucked."

Ororo looked horrified. "Logan!" she snapped, glaring at him.

Logan gritted his teeth. "It's the honest truth." he grumbled, though he shut his mouth after Storm's eyes flickered white with anger.

Clint suddenly received a call. When the short conversationm ended, he looked grim.

"They can't trace it. It's too faint, if there's even a signal to trace." he informed them.

"Do you think we can trace it with spectro... meters, like we traced the Tesseract?" Steve asked, and Natasha had to fill in the word 'meters' for him when he stumbled.

"We used them to trace gamma radiation that time. We don't even know what kind of transmission the source emits. It could be anything." Bruce told him.

Steve looked crestfallen. "How are we going to find her..." he murmured. The whole room was wondering the same thing.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Georgia gasped as she was forcibly thrust out of her dream by a slamming door.

"What the hell?" she murmured, and suddenly panicked as she realized that her hands and feet were restrained. Slowly, she remembered where she was at the moment. She turned her head and stared at the four men approaching her.

Without any word, they unclasped her hands from the pods and each grasped a limb to transport her by. She noticed that they were wearing rubber gloves.

Unperturbed by the fact that rubber did not conduct electricty, she immediately starting synthesizing... only to have the energy rebounded into her body much like the pods. Though this was much less painful, and only stung about as much as projecting it did, it was getting her nowhere fast and it was tiring her out rapidly.

Ceasing that route, she started to struggle. The men were unperturbed by her pulling against their hands. They kept their eyes on their path and paid no mind to the struggling woman in their hands.

"Rowdy this morning, aren't we?" Ulfrich's voice hummed from next to her all of a sudden. She growled in response, not taking kindly to being man-handled.

"Kill yourself." Georgia spat, her struggling resuming. Ulfrich tsked at the comment, but said nothing.

Suddenly, Georgia's foot got free. She kicked the guard supposed to be holding it in the face, and then used the blow as leverage to swing around and knock away the other one, who made a mad grab for the limb.

In the split second that she hit the ground, she jerked her arms free from the two men holding them, and punched them both in the face. They stumbled back, both tripping and falling to crack their heads on the concrete floor.

The remaining two were advancing on her, Georgia allowed electricity to flow into them, killing them instantly.

In that moment, she realied that she had killed two human beings. Sure, she had killed aliens galore during Loki's war. But this was different. She never wanted to _kill_ anybody. Not intentionally. But here she was, staring down at two lifeless pairs of eyes.

"Marvelous. I really am quite impressed. Are you sure you're so keen on refusing my offer to join me? You're a natural killer." Ulfrich commended, walking towards her. He extracted a gun from his coat pocket and shot the two unconscious men in the head.

"All these men are dead because of your actions." he told her, advancing further. "They will never go home and see their wives or children. Families will weep tonight. Children will grow up without fathers."

Georgia looked away, feeling the shame of his words crashing down on her. "I only killed two." she protested softly.

"Yes, and I killed the second two because of their incompetence to restrain you. You." Ulfrich said, though his voice was soothing, his words were malicious. "You."

The last word was whispered, and it rang throughout Georgia's mind like a gong.

"Just like you killed Mr. Bennet." he continued as Georgia fell to her knees in guilt. She should run, she should kill Griffin while she had the chance. But somehow, her guilt was strangling her from within. Griping her like iron vices as tears streamed down her face.

"Just like you could have killed Mr. Stark." he cooed, beginning to circle her form. She was on her hands and knees, shaking uncontrollably as she tried to will her body to move. To run, to kill the man who...

"Just like you killed your parents."

Her eyes snapped open, and great fury replaced her overwhelming guilt.

"NO!" she roared, jumping up and rounding on him. She sized him up. Full and thick salt and pepper hair, lanky and tall. His ice blue eyes glinted in the artificial lighting. His hands clasped behind his back, and all-too knowing smile plastered on his face.

"I didn't kill my parents!" she screamed, having had enough of his mind games. He seemed slightly confused as to why she was able to stand and yell at him. The expression was quickly wiped away to be replaced by his trademark smirk.

"I wasn't even home! I couldn't have done it." Georgia said, albeit more quietly. Her chest heaved with her breath.

"That's right." Ulfrich said nonchalently. "How silly of me. I meant that _I_ killed your parents. For _you_."

The world seemed to stop around them. "You couldn't have. Your employees got to be when I was fifteen. You didn't even know I existed."

"I hand-picked all of my subjects, Ms. McGuiness." Griffin informed her dismissively, cocking his head as he spoke. "Your fate was decided when you were eight."

"You could have waited. I was so young." Georgia whispered, feeling her anger ebb as the realization that, technically, _she_ had killed her parents. He killed them in the pursuit of her.

"To be fair, I _did_ offer them quite the sum of money to give you up on their own. I was, and am, a reasonable man, Ms. McGuiness." Ulfrich told her. "They refused, and were planning to contact S.H.I.E.L.D for protection."

Georgia suddenly remembered that morning, so long ago, before she went off to school.

_Her moms were unusually perky that morning. Georgia wasn't complaining, because usually, in the morning, they were slightly cranky. She enjoy the extra attention she was receiving._

_Chuck, the mom with short black hair and strangely honey-colored eyes, did Georgia's hair in a pretty French braid for the day. Anita, her other mom with the pixie-like latina features, dressed Georgia in a yellow sundress. Georgia was never one for dresses and other very feminine attire, but she, still, wasn't complaining._

_Before she left to get on the bus for school, Anita and Charlotte both got down to kneel at eye-level with Georgia._

_"Georgia. We love you. More than we can ever describe in words." Chuck told her seriously, holding on to one of Georgia's small hands._

_"We will never stop loving you, alright? No matter what happens, _mi pequeño amor." _Anita told her, kissing her cheek softly before standing up._

_"Mommy, mama, I'm just going to school." Georgia's young voice laughed across the present Georgia's memory. _

But if she had known then what she knew now... would she have done anything different? Could she, in her younger days, have been able to do anything to stop it? Doubtful. A small child couldn't stop this man. A grown woman couldn't either.

Georgia winced as she realized that she was on the ground, sobbing, once more. If was the same crippling sadness she had experienced earlier. It came on so suddenly, and it was so stifling that Georgia had the thought that it wasn't just her own guilt.

"Stop doing this to me." Georgia ground out, unable to surface from her sorrow.

"I'm doing nothing. It is your own repressed guilt that is suffocating you."

"No. You're... amplifying it somehow. You have powers."

Ulfrich suddenly laughed, throwing his head back in the effort. Georgia glared up at him in pure hatred. When he calmed down, he began shaking his head rhythmically.

"No, no. You poor, misguided child, I am not gifted with the X-Gene of any sort. Nor am I a superbeing of any kind. I'm purely a man, able to bring forth your own repressed emotion in a way that no one else has been able to. The weight of it is crushing you, not I. I merely am making you realize it."

Georgia said nothing, she simply heaved for air on the ground. It truely felt like something was crushing her. Could it really be the force of her guilt?

"Now, imagine that you join me. All your guilt can be forgotten. All your pain and sorrow, gone forever. A position in power... unlimited power, Georgia."

"You sound like Loki."

"Don't insult me by relating my genius to that whiny, incompetant whelp." Ulfrich snapped, losing his composure for a moment. He cleared his throat, and his cool smirk returned to his face.

"It's not my fault you literally sound _exactly like him_." Georgia said, pushing the matter further to anger him again.

This time, however, his composure didn't slip. He simply nodded pleasantly at Georgia and walked away.

Even in his absence, Georgia felt the weight of her despair crushing her from all sides. Even though she wanted to take the chance to run, to find a way to escape... she found she couldn't.

Nothing mattered anymore.

A killer such as herself deserved this.

A monster deserved a cage.

But not all cages have locks and keys.

Not all cages are physical.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOo

**God I love this story arc. **

**Next chapter: I don't even know. I knew this arc would happen, but I have no idea how it ends. Not a clue. When I write, my mind just takes me where the story needs to go. I have faint outlines of plot and I incorporate my genius, random ideas, but honestly DO I LOOK LIKE A (WO)MAN WITH A PLAN?**

**Name that movie, what character says it, to who, and what actors are in the scene. Why? I dunno maybe I'll think of a prize. **

**AND DON'T GOOGLE IT, CHEATERS.**

**Okay so I'd like to thank all of ya'll for your reviews! Including; LucyRider17, HitanaElyonToph, DuckyInTheWater, mstef, Vampirerex1, The Yoshinator, CHarmony49 (YES! I love me some KH!), Miko Hayashi (ahahaha Thor), and solaheartnet.**

**And super-special-awesome shout out to solaheartnet, because her review gave me more warm fuzzies than usual and it made me finish this chapter! Props to you, buddy! You're awesome!**

**But I love ALLLLL of my reviewers equally.**

**Okay yeah I'm done rambling. I have soooo much homework. Like Tony. (Avengers reference. Hahaha)**

**Kbye. Love ya'll!**

**Jess**

**PS: Keep in mind that it's super hard to follow such a stellar chapter such as the last one. I'm sorry if this one isn't as good. I tried to make it better... but I probs failed. Hahaha**


	26. Chapter 26

Georgia didn't know how long she lay there. She had no will to move. She drifted in and out of consciousness, and her sense of what was reality and what was dream blurred.

She felt a presence behind her. She sat up, turning slowly to see Reed. Her Reed, standing there. His hands were jammed in his pockets and an aloof smile was spread over his face.

"Hey there, baby." he cooed softly, taking a step forward. Georgia blinked up at Reed with wide eyes. Her whole body started to shake.

"You're dead." was all she could muster. Her dark eyes filled with fear and she felt tears slip down her cheeks.

Reed seemed unperturbed by this news. "Yeah? Well then, I must be in heaven if you're here." he said, winking at her.

A hysterical giggle erupted from Georgia. She wasn't sure if she was dreaming or if she was drugged or if she were really speaking to her dead husband right now. She wiped at her fresh tears frantically as he walked slowly towards her.

He kneeled down by where she was sitting. She stared at him wide eyed, and as his hand touched her cheek softly, she felt the familiar callouses she remembered all-too well. He was real. She could touch him. Her hand reached up to cover his larger one with her own.

"You died." Georgia ground out, her eyes searching his.

"That's what they want you to think." Reed corrected, smiling his familiar thousand-watt smile at her. "How can you believe anything they tell you here? It's all lies."

Georgia bit her lip and looked away. "How did you even get here, Reed?" she asked, and the name seemed foreign on her lips. It was different merely saying his name and addressing him with his name.

"They've been keeping me here." he answered simply. Georgia looked at him curiously. She was about to ask another question, when he interrupted her.

"I've missed you so much." he asked her, his face leaning in close to brush noses with her. His eyes were heavy lidded as he looked at her.

Tears filled Georgia's eyes again. "You don't even understand how much I've missed you. I killed you, Reed." she whispered, leaning into his chest as he wrapped his arms around her.

He shushed her as he smoothed her black hair soothingly. "But here I am." he corrected her. "And I love you, Georgia."

Georgia turned to bury her face in his chest, and as she inhaled his scent... something was wrong. He didn't smell like Reed.

That realization was enough to set the on-edge Georgia off. In a swift movement, she had her hand locked around fake-Reed's neck, slamming him down on the floor before straddling him to keep his hands down.

"Who are you." she demanded, eyes wild with fury.

Reed struggled in her grasped. Her eyes narrowed, and clenched his windpipe harder in warning.

"Georgia, what the hell are you doing?" he demanded in a choked voice.

"Don't fucking play stupid with me. Who are you. You're not Reed Bennet. You don't smell like my husband." Georgia growled, as ridiculous as the statement sounded.

"Georgia, I know this is all a lot to take in, but it's really me." Reed pleaded from under her vice-like grip. "And I love you."

"Stop it!" Georgia screamed, taking his neck in both hands and slamming the back of his cranium against the concrete ground. "Stop doing this to me!"

Reed merely moaned in response to her rough treatment, his eyes clenched shut in pain. Georgia growled deep in her throat. Her composure was slipping. This place was too much. She was going to lose her mind, eventually... if she hadn't already.

"Tell me who you are or so help me I'll sacrifice the rest of my sanity and watch Reed Bennet die _again_!" Georgia yelled, leaning close to to this Reed.

He suddenly started laughing. It was horrible and gruesome, and Georgia was shocked by the sound coming out in her beloved husband's voice.

"Very smart." the Reed commended, but it was in a feminine voice. Georgia jumped off the person as they began to turn blue. Yellow eyes replaced Reed's blue, and red jumped through his brown hair.

A tall, menacing-looking blue woman now stood before Georgia.

"I told Ulfrich you wouldn't be fooled. I did wonder what he expected to accomplish from this all, however." she drawled, smirking at the frightened and angered Georgia. "It seems he merely wanted to torture you further. It really is quite intriguing, how much he wants to make you suffer."

"I've suffered through enough in my life prior to this." Georgia countered, some of her old confidence coming back. "I can handle a little more."

"Oh?" the blue woman asked slyly as her form began to change again.

She was in the form of Anita, one of Georgia's moms.

"Georgia, why didn't you save us?" she whimpered, burn marks appearing to cover her tanned skin in angry red welts. Some of her was charred to the bone, and Georgia had to look away. She had to remember that it was merely a ruse.

A male voice entered the room. She had brought Reed back.

He looked disappointed in her. "You know, Georgia, you could have warned me." he said disapprovingly. Georgia flinched hard at the words.

"I didn't know, I didn't..." Georgia whispered as she watched the woman change again.

"Don't worry, Georgia. It won't hurt at all." this time, it was Georgia's adoptive father. He smiled in a sympathetic way that turned sadistic in a second. Georgia didn't want to scream. She didn't want to give this woman the satisfaction.

"Freak." another voice spat in her direction. Female. Possibly a girl from her college that had been jealous of her scientific prowess.

"I trusted you, Georgia." it was Tony's voice that spoke now. His eyes bore into hers once she mustered up the courage to look up at him.

_'It's not him, it's not him, it's not him...'_ she had to remind herself. She backed up from the image of Tony, trying to escape. Her back hit a concrete wall behind her.

"And I thought I was the monster." Bruce's voice was next. He regarded her coldly, back to her.

Something snapped inside Georgia. This wasn't real. None of it was real. No matter if she were awake or not, they were all illusions. Shadows, really.

Shadows, because no matter how convincingly the woman said the words in these peoples' voices, she couldn't convey them perfectly.

Tony would yell at her. He never used the 'disappointed' tone.

Bruce wouldn't call her a monster, no matter how angry he was with her.

And Reed... he never called her _baby_.

Anger flooded through her frail body, and Georgia launched herself at this strange being.

"How _dare you_." she yelled, pushing the would-be Bruce to the ground. "How dare you convey my friends in such a cheap manner. Get some acting classes, lady."

Bruce bared his teeth at her, which looked remarkably strange until the blue woman changed her form back to her original self. Now it was terrifying. She pushed back, sending Georgia flying across the room to hit the opposite wall.

And she was _strong_.

Georgia slumped to the ground, groaning in pain. Her eyes lit with blue electricity, and she flew at the woman again. They grappled in the middle, Georgia refusing to kill her but willing to injure brutally.

"You know Griffin is plotting to kill all of the mutants..." she ground out as she used all of her strength to keep from being overpowered. "And that's what I'm guessing you are."

The blue woman grunted out a laugh. "He seeks to duplicate my gene for his army. He wouldn't dare dispose of me. I'm invaluable." she said cockily

"He doesn't exactly value his workforce." Georgia snapped, remembering the guards Ulfrich had killed without blinking an eye.

The blue woman bared her teeth and flung Georgia to the side with a powerful swing of her arms. Her shoulders were hunched forward menacingly as she stalked towards the fallen Georgia.

Georgia smacked her head and groaned as she jumped to her feet quickly. She zapped the woman with a mild ripple of electricity. The blue woman shrieked in anger, and changed into Tony.

"You're gonna hurt me again, huh, Georgie?" he asked her, eyeing her raised fingers. He crossed his arms and regarded her with his chin up.

Georgia hesitated. "Stop it." she barked, flying at the fake Tony and grappling with him on the floor.

"Like it rough, huh?" the fake Tony said in a husky voice as Georgia basically straddled him on the floor, trying to get a punch in somewhere. "I'd imagine, since you're fucking the Hulk right now.

It was Georgia's turn to bear her teeth. She had to continuously remind herself that it _wasn't Tony_. It looked like Tony, it sounded like Tony, but it wasn't her friend.

When he had managed to secure her limbs that she couldn't flail to hit him anymore, Georgia tried to roll away. However, the fake Tony held on tight, and it only succeeded in getting him into a position on top of her.'

"I won't tell if you won't." he said, smirking. His lips were a centimeter away from hers. She was distracted for barely a millisecond, before she kneed the shit out of his stomach and jumped away, standing up.

"Now that's just _gross_, lady." she spat, shuddering at the thought of having sex with Tony. Even more of her old self was coming back now. The illusions weren't working as well anymore. The fake Tony stood up, holding his stomach. Then he smirked and took a ridiculously feminine pose, with a hand on his jutted-out hip.

Georgia took one look and burst out laughing at the ridiculous scene before her. Though it was no time for laughing, her tired mind couldn't help it.

"How about this, then?" the woman said in her own voice, and she shifted into the form of Bruce.

Bruce flew at her, knocking her to the ground and enclosing his hands around her throat. Georgia cried out in fury, gripping his wrists to try and wrench his hands off her her neck... but she couldn't bring herself to shock him.

"Can you hurt the one you love most to save yourself?" Bruce's quiet voice whispered to her as his finger tightened around her windpipe.

"No." Georgia admitted in a strangled voice, looking into this Bruce's eyes. His eyes flashed with triumph at her words, hands tightening.

"But I can sure as hell hurt _you_." she spat, sending a powerful, but not powerful enough to kill, current through his body through his hands. He reverted back to the blue woman, and Georgia shoved the unconscious woman off of her.

"You didn't kill her." Ulfrich's amused voice said from somewhere that seemed far away. It echoed through the room.

"I'm done with that. I'm not killing anybody else." Georgia told him, staring up into the ceiling.

"Weak." he said a-matter-of-factly.

"Killing people doesn't give you power, Ulfrich." she said, addressing him by his first name casually. "It just makes them dead."

When she turned around, the blue woman was gone.

"What are you going to do now that your tricks don't effect me?" Georgia challenged, still shouting at the ceiling. "What can you possibly do to me now?"

"Plenty." was the one word that came in response.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

"I've got it!" Tony suddenly said, bolting up from his position sprawled out on the couch is disarray. He interrupted the conversation suddenly, and everyone turned to look at him expectantly.

"Can we possibly track her electricity?" he suggested, getting up from the couch.

Bruce thought for a moment. "We don't know exactly what her electricity registers as on a scanner." he mused, running a hand through his greying hair. "Plus, there's the risk of Griffin's sort of 'shield' blocking us from detecting it."

"It is more of an electromagnetic barrier, though even that is a loose definition." Charles offered, also appearing to be deep in thought. "And even the strongest of shields have a 'kink' in them. Perhaps even if it does block out electrical signals such as Georgia's electricity, it could somehow rupture briefly. Any power source will 'flicker' if kept on for long periods of time, even for a nanosecond."

"And if we keep the scans going indefinitely, and there's even a tiny rupture... well, that's all we'll need." Pepper contributed quietly.

"This is all true, but what can we possibly set the scanner to? Her electricity is different." Bruce said, glancing around the room.

"Just set it to big electrical currents, or whatever." Tony suggested, using loose terminalogy and waving his hand. "It'll register, though it may do so as 'unknown type.'"

"How can we be sure that we'll even have anything to pick up on?" Natasha pointed out calmly. It suggested that Georgia might be dead, and the room was silent for a moment.

"Because if there's one thing I know, it's that whereever Georgia is, whatever she's going through... she'll be fighting the whole time." Tony said solemnly. The whole room silently agreed.

"And bitching about something or other." the whole room silently agreed once more.

"You also need to have the scanner lock on to and save the coordinates if it picks up on something of Georgia's." Clint reminded them quickly before Tony and Bruce headed down to the lab. "This rupture, if it even happens, will most likely be barely a blip."

"'K, bye." Tony said dismissively before he, Bruce, and Charles headed down to the labs.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Yay new chapter! I'm like exhausted and it's only 9, and I'm pretty sure I'm going to pass out soon.

So some quick notes, I'm beginning my Tony/OC Avenge the Love fanfic with the last of my energy tonight. No, it will not be Georgia, but there will be Tony/Georgia drabbles in an 'Avenge the Love' drabbles fic I'll have up sooner or later. Why? Because it's so fucking fun and hilarious to write them as a couple. Like really, I was laughing out loud a couple of times.

AND there will be Georgia/Bruce drabbles, and Tony/Pepper, and Steve/Sarah and alllll the rest of the gang as they are paired with their AtL counterpart.

Tony's lovah is named Veronica Ferrell. She hates being called Ronnie. So guess what she's getting called?

But their meeting is very interesting, and their plot which is completely dreamed up already (Strangely enough) is actually very emotional and sad and intense. Her backstory is pretty tragic, too. But not in the way that Georgia's is. God why do I torture my OCs?

Cause it makes for good fucking writing, that's why.

But it will be funny. If I'm writing Tony Stark, it'll be funny.

Oh my god I'm conceited. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. But I'm not deleting that phrase. It's not conceited if it's always true.

Okay I'll shut up now. I just need to stop talking. I apologize, you probably stopped reading this after the chapter ended so now I'm just talking to myself.

Thanks to alll of my reviewers, I'm honestly too lazy to name you right now, but ya'lls know who you are. I appreciate you.

Keep reviewing, loves! It makes me update faster and write better.

Okay if I'm not careful this AN is going to be longer than the actual chapter.

Peace, love, sleepytime. (Love all of you)

Jess

PS: I would just like to say: 251 Reviews, 333 followers, 221 favorites, and 61, 229 views! I am floored by this! I'm so glad you all like me and my meager writing skills! Thank you so much! Maybe I'll draw something pretty in thanks in class tomorrow! Maybe. If I'm not asleep from lack of sleep because I was writing this unnecessarily long A/N.


	27. Chapter 27

"Anything?" Tony demanded early that next morning. Bruce glanced over at him from his post by the scanner.

"Nothing." he told him, voice monotone. He adjusted his glasses on his face, and Tony noticed that the dark circles under his eyes had become even darker.

"Did you even go to bed last night?" Tony asked, keeping his voice light.

"No. I couldn't sleep." Bruce told him, glancing back at the scanner every few minutes while he worked on other research. "Wasn't tired."

"You need to sleep, Bruce." Stark told him carefully. "You can't help Georgia if you're dead tired."

"I'm fine."

"You don't look fine."

"What do you want me to do, Tony?" Bruce suddenly shouted, slamming his hand on his desk. His eyes flashed green before he took a moment to calm himself down and take deep breaths.

"Whenever I go to bed, I can't fall asleep because I keep waiting for her to come in." he explained, a pained look in his eyes. "And when I do sleep, I have nightmares.

Tony sighed, sitting down at the chair next to Bruce. "I'm worried, too." he admitted. "Everyone is. Pepper cried all night."

"What if she's dead?" Bruce aske quietly. "What if we're too late? This scanner... it's like trying to pierce steel with a toothpick. She has to create a big enough spark of electricity at the _exact moment_ that the shield has a rupture. What are the chances of that?"

"About one in four hundred thousand." Tony told him immediately. "I did the math last night. It's not impossible, though. When have we ever had the odds for us, anyway?

Bruce cracked a smile. "Never." he admitted.

"Exactly. So why don't you go upstairs and get some sleep? At least a few hours' worth. I'll stay down here and watch the scanner for anything and everything until you get back." Tony told him.

Bruce eyed Tony skeptically, before realizing that his resolve was slipping. "Okay." he sighed, getting up to go. He stopped at the door. "Thank you."

"Yep." Tony said with a quick nod, spinning around in his chair to put his feet up and stare at the screen intently. When Bruce was gone, he let himself sighed and feel the weight of his own apprehension.

"Come on, Georgia. Be our one in four hundred thousand..." he willed her quietly.

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

Georgia paced back and forth in what she considered her cage. There were no windows where she was, only one naked light bulb, so she had no idea how long she'd been in captivity by this madman.

Occasionally, she called mockery and insults to the ceiling, hoping for retaliation from Griffin. No response ever came, which led her to wonder what he was doing, and why he was keeping her in this room indefinitely.

She knew why, of course. To break her. His whole play was to break her before he took her gene for splicing. But why? Because he hoped to recruit her? Or because he wanted to make her suffer before he killed her?

Both possibilities scared her thoroughly. She knew she would never leave after he took her genetic code. EIther she'd die from the operation, be killed afterwards, or be so mentally damaged that she'd be coerced into joining her captor.

After her feet began to ache, she slid down the wall to sit against the cool concrete. She thought of her friends back at home. Did they realize something was wrong by this time?They must have, she'd been gone for at least a few days by now.

She briefly wondered if they were looking for her at this exact moment. She touched the sore spot where the tracker she'd allowed Tony to insert in her had been ripped out by Griffin's hand. They had stitched it up with haphazard stitches, but it still hurt days after.

Her thoughts turned to Griffin then. What did he expect to gain from her captivity here? He had already exhausted the route of breaking her with her guilt. What else could he possibly do to her at this point when he principal weapon was exhausted?

Her answer came not ten minutes later, when she heard a door open and close somewhere in the darkness. A gigantic blonde man entered into the light. Georgia was hidden in the shadows of her room, so he couldn't yet see her.

But when he began sniffing the air, her eyes widened. He was nothing less than a jungle cat in the guise of a man. Another mutant, she suspected, looking at his mane-like blonde hair and feline-like teeth that hung dangerously from his lips. Curled, lion-like claws jutted from his fingertips.

"Fuck." she whispered softly, standing up shakily as she surveyed his massive form. The slightly sound made the massive mutant's head snap straight in her direction, roaring in response.

He lunged towards her, and she dove away, narrowly missing the snap of his jaws on her calf. She raced away, sticking to the shadows. She knew he must have cat-like vision as well, but she needed any slight advantage that she could.

Turning her head as she sprinted around the room, he was basically breathing down her neck. He swiped at her torso with a massive, deadly hand, catching her back as she tried to dodge.

Georgia gasped in pain, feeling blood collect and fly off her back as she didn't stop running. She was hyper aware of his pounding paws behind her, he would soon overtake her no matter how many sharp turns she took.

His weight suddenly hit her full force from behind. She turned in grasp before she hit the ground. He pinned her down, claws sliding into her arms as he held her down.

His teeth ripped at her shoulder, and Georgia screamed in agony. She suddenly realized Griffin's next play.

He was going to break her body. In how many ways, she didn't know.

Freeing her arm by ripping it out of his claws, she sprawled it over his face and shocked him violently.

Yelping in pain, he jumped off her. Georgia gasped in pain, putting a hand to her shoulder wound to try and stop the bleeding. She stood up shakily, tears streaming down her face.

She saw a gap in his skin where the electricity had burned through hid facial tissue right to the bone. But before her eyes, the wound filled in perfectly.

Georgia's eyes widened as her cause suddenly became impossible. She couldn't defeat something that could heal.

He went to lunge at her again, when Georgia screamed, "Stop, please!" desperately, hoping to communicate with it. "I know Griffin put you up to this, and he's going to destroy you once he has the synthetic gene."

The man straightened up, looking at her curiously... before his chest rumbled in laughter. "Little girl, he couldn't kill me if he tried. I am Sabretooth." he said, voice surprisingly intelligent. And very conceited. "And you're wrong. He didn't put me up to it. I volunteered." He laughed again, and lunged for her bleeding body.

Georgia sent another ripple at him, pausing him for a few moments. She looked to the ceiling, seeing a network of pipes and cords that she could possibly climb into to escape.

Jumping as high as she could, having to let go of her deep wound to do so, she grabbed onto a pipe and pulled herself into the low ceiling's rafters.

Sabretooth growled in fury below her, and she looked down to see him swiping at her dangling feet as she climbed in pure terror. Even if Griffin told him not to kill her, he could easily do so and probably not give a shit.

She heard the clanging of pipes and ripping of electrical cords below her as Sabretooth tried to create a path through the tightly knit weavings of technology and pipes that his massive body couldn't fit through.

Georgia hit the ceiling and realized that she had no where else to go. Sabretooth saw this, and a laugh rumbled in his throat once more as he climbed through the wreckage to get to her. His claws ripped out a lot of technology, and Georgia saw him be shocked by frayed cords without so much as a flinch.

She didn't want to kill him, but in her position trapped against the ceiling, she didn't think she had a choice. Even if she could kill him, that is. It might be impossible. Georgia looked to the space next to her, wondering if she could squeeze through the tiny space between the pipes. Looking down at the approaching monster, she decided it was her best shot.

She put her feet in first, and she just barely got her head through. She suddenly felt woozy. She was losing way too much blood at this point. If Griffin didn't intervene soon, she would either be killed by this mutant or from blood loss. Could he use her genes if she was dead?

Climbing as swiftly as she could through the web of pipes with one hand clamped to her bleeding shoulder, she tried to think of ways to get out without killing him or being killed herself. All she was doing at this point was buying herself time. He would eventually catch up.

More ripping from behind her signalled that he was getting impatient, and he was tunneling more forcefully to get to her. So much ruined technology lay in his wake. Georgia briefly wondered if anything important was being destroyed.

That question was answered when Sabretooth lunged through a particularly complex bundle of wires encircled by a casing of what seemed to be plastic. An alarm sounded through the building. Georgia scanned the ruined device to conclude that it had also been covered in rubber as well, because she couldn't see it when scanning. It had obviously been readied against her abilities. It was important.

The words 'Security Breach in Sector Twelve. Shield Compromised' were spoken by an electronic female's voice. Georgia silently thanked the crazed cat-man for taking it out. Whatever it was, it was meant to deflect her power. What kind of shield was it taking about, anyway?

She was so distracted by the idea of a shield, that she didn't notice that Sabretooth was still making his way through his wreckage to her. His teeth sunk into her leg, ripping through her muscle violently as she screamed in pain. She struggled, but it only ripped his teeth further into her skin.

Desperately, she thrust out her bloodied hands and sent a massive ripple of blue electricity through his body. He shook violently, further damaging her leg. He glared at her in fury as she wore herself out with the amount of exersion she was putting on her ruined body. When she couldn't synthesize anymore, she had to let go. She braced herself for further agony, squeezing her eyes shut... but it never came.

Opening her eyes, she found that Sabretooth collapsed onto the web of technology below him. She heard breathing from his massive chest, signalling that he hadn't been killed. She was surprised. She had pumped enough power into his body to power a generator for two weeks.

He really couldn't be killed.

She pushed him with her feet towards the hole that he had climbed into the rafters by, and allowed his limp body to fall to the ground. She followed, landing gingerly.

Her legs screamed in agony as she stood on them, and she quickly collapsed in exhaustion, delirious from the pain of her ruined body.

She was only faintly aware of the continuous sirens from the 'shield' problem that Sabretooth had caused. Her tired mind could only briefly ponder on it, before she slipped out of consciousness.

Her last thought was, 'I hope he doesn't wake up before me.'

OoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Tony was dozing off himself as he watched the scanner late into the day, and even into the evening. He hadn't gotten much sleep, comforting Pepper most of the night the day before. He felt the effects of it now.

He was in-between dream and consciousness, when a screaming alarm sounded from the scanner. He fell of his chair in sheer surprise, before scrambling up to stare at the screen.

It had registered an 'unknown electrical power source', coming from a building near the edge of the city. Tony's face split into a huge grin.

"It has to be Georgia!" he yelled in triumph. "That's a girl, I hope you've kicked so much ass! JARVIS, get everyone down here! We've found her!"

"Certainly, sir. Just remember; you still have to retrieve her." JARVIS reminded him in that strange, wise tone that he used from time to time.

"Don't burst my bubble." Tony snapped, staring at the point on the scanner intently.

"We're coming, Georgia." he promised.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOo

YAY ANOTHER EVIL MUTANT.

I had the idea that Griffin has like a bunch of mutants working for him, not telling him the true plan of GRIFFIN. More so just saying that he was making it a mutant-centric world, not unlike what Magneto wanted to do.

Okay this took forever to write so I'm like fatigued right now. Awko-taco.

Oh, and my Tony/OC first chapter is now up! It's called Law and Disorder, look it up. I'm working on the second chapter of that and Heroic Couplet right now. But my main priority is to finish up CB. Only like 5-10 more chapters left. Wow that's really sad to say. I'm probs gonna have to do a sequel.

OKAY. So remember to review! I love all of ya'lls!

Jess


	28. Chapter 28

Georgia woke up in what seemed to be a medical facility. Her head pounded, pain enveloping her with every pulse. She groaned at the surgical light being shone in her eyes.

Opening her eyes to slits, she glanced around the room more. It was definitely like a medical bay. She heard the steady beeping of her heartrate on the monitor next to her bed. As she tried to move her arm, she found that they were strapped back into the pods, as well as her feet. The movement of her muscles, however, caused a sharp pain in both of her arms.

Glancing down as best as she could, she spotted needles jutting out from each arm. One led to an IV unit and the other to an empty bag that was tinted red. It must have been a blood transfusion.

Her shoulder screamed in protest as she shifted postitions. Her eyes were opened all the way now, and she suddenly was aware that Griffin had been sitting next to her the whole time.

"It's not polite to stare at people." she mumbled, turning her head slowly to avoid more pain to her shoulder wound.

"It's also not polite to destroy somebody else's property. Yet, you seemed to have no trouble doing so." Griffin said calmly, smiling pleasantly.

"Oh, your pet kitten? Sorry about that." she said, taunting him with the mockery in her voice. This was purely boasting, of course. She had barely beaten that monster on her own. She spent most of the time running from Sabretooth, not fighting.

"You know what I mean, Ms. McGuiness. The shield transmitter."

"That was your kitten. You hid it from me, Griffin. It was that _thing's_ fault."

"Quite. Well, in direct response to this lapse in security, we'll be taking your genetic code within the hour. As soon as the equipment has been readied and tested." he informed her, completely aware that it basically meant her death was approaching rapidly. Not that he cared.

"Can I ask why?"

"Not to give you false hope, but it seems your 'Avengers' have locked onto our signal somehow. The lapse in our shields, although it lasted less than two minutes, allowed them to find a waypoint and find _you_." Griffin told her, obviously trying to give her false hope with his news. "But even if they find you, I'll already have everything I need. And you'll probably be dead."

"Then why bother to fix me up?" Georgia demanded, flicking her eyes towards the needles in her arms as well as the stitches that ran up her leg where Sabretooth had sunk his teeth into her leg and the larger bundle of stitches on her shoulder.

"We couldn't have you die before the operation, darling." Griffin said easily. "And maybe a bit of sentimentality went along with it. Perhaps I still hope you'll join me after the procedure."

"There is literally no way in hell."

"You'd be surprised how changed a person is once they've lost their sanity."

"So if I survive this whole ordeal, I'll go insane." it wasn't a question.

"The probability is almost one hundred percent. It's one thing to give a person new genetic code. It's quite another deal to extract it."

"Sounds fantastic."

"Quite."

"Yup."

"Indeed."

OoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Tony raced upstairs to assemble all of the Avengers as fast as possible. He found everyone as fast as possible, and had Clint call up Fury and Natasha contact the X-Men.

"Okay, guys. We've got her. She's alive and she must have been well enough to fight, seeing how much electricity we registered on the scanner." Tony announced to his temmates.

"Fury asks if we need any of his agents." Clint said, looking up at the group.

"Xavier says he'll send Storm and Wolverine with us." Natasha offered as well.

"I say yes to Xavier and no to Fury." Tony said, looking at his group. "S.H.I.E.L.D doesn't need to be involved until we can't handle it."

"Yeah, because they handled that _so_ well last time..." Steve grumbled, remembering the threat of the nuclear missile that the Council had sent at Manhattan.

"That was the Council. This is Fury. And this isn't threatening the whole world at the moment."

"It has the potential to." Bruce reminded him.

"I said _at the moment_." Tony said, rolling his eyes. "Right now, it's primarily about Georgia. If we can get her out of there alive and without Griffin experimenting on her, we're golden."

"For how long?" Steve asked quietly. "I doubt he'll leave her alone if we get her back. He'll try again, more prepared. We'll either have to kill him or arrest him."

"Which requires S.H.I.E.L.D. He'll be taken into custody for..." Natasha started.

"Nothing that will get him life behind bars." Tony interrupted her. "What has he done? Kidnapping will get him five years, at best. That's all we have on him."

"We have murder, if we can prove that he was behind the death of all those kids back when Georgia was young." Steve offered. "And inhumane acts for what he had done to Georgia."

"And we don't know what he did... since he got his hands on her again..." Bruce reminded them, voice quiet and somber.

The whole room seemed to flinch at that possibility.

"Unless he succeeds in getting her genetic code and creating the synthetic mutant army, threatening to take over the world, we don't have much proof of anything he's done." Clint said, still having Fury on hold.

The room was silent.

"We still have to go get her." Tony said. "Let's worry about the details afterwards. If we can, we'll take Griffin into custody after we get Georgia back. She's the priority."

"Fury says Griffin is the priority." Clint said, hanging up the phone. He told Fury to have copters standing by.

"Without Georgia, he doesn't have any power." Tony snapped.

"Without Griffin, Georgia's in no danger." Natasha said, siding with Clint.

"And what do _you_ think? Without all the S.H.I.E.L.D bullshit clouding your mind?" Stark demanded, glaring at the pair of assassins. They glanced at each other.

"Georgia's our friend. But the world is more important." Clint spoke for both of them.

"Natasha certainly was singing a different tune when _you_ were in trouble, Katniss." Tony snapped.

"That was a completely different situation!" Natasha protested.

"Why? Because it was about _you_?" Bruce asked her, voice accusing.

"Oh, so now I'm the bad guy." Natasha snapped back.

"Exactly." Tony confirmed. Romanoff turned to glare at him.

"I care about Georgia! I'm just looking at the bigger picture." she said defensively.

"Okay, guys!" Steve suddenly shouted over all of their bickering. "This isn't helping anyone? Every second you choose to fight about who's 'right' is a second closer to the chance that Georgia might die!"

Everyone fell silent. This was just like back on the helicarrier, them fighting. Only this time, Phil Coulson wasn't there to die and unite them. That was Georgia's role this time, and they couldn't let that happen.

"Storm and Wolverine should be here soon. Before then, we need to just... pull together like we did against Loki. We need a plan."

"Fine, then. Call it, Cap." Tony invited, crossing his arms. At that moment, they heard people coming up the elevator. Tony had given Xavier clearance passes for his elevator for the time being. Wolverine and Storm stepping into the room, fully dressed in their X-Men uniforms.

"What's the plan?" Logan demanded immediately, though he seemed to loathe the idea of taking orders from someone other than Xavier.

Cap nodded to them, looking around at his friends and teammates. "Okay. Stark and Storm will get there first. Scope out the site. Figure out any possible entrance points. If you could, ma'am, create an overcast? It'll provide more cover in the air for you and our aircraft coming in, as well as shadows on the ground for us."

Storm nodded, glancing at Stark.

"Speaking of aircraft, Tasha and Hawk, do you think that you could get a large Quinjet from Fury? It'll need to be big enough for you two, Wolverine and I, and Banner." Clint nodded and got on the phone again.

"Whoa, I'm going?" Bruce asked in disbelief.

"Wait, I'm getting there." Steve said, waving him off in his business-like voice. This was his commander voice.

"Widow and Hawk, we'll land the jet on a nearby building and have you two go in first. Stark will let you know of the best entrance point. Get in there and scope out the inside, let us know what we're dealing with in terms of opponents. Focus on finding Griffin, since that's your personal main focus... don't argue."

Natasha had opened her mouth to defend herself on the matter of apparently not caring about Georgia's well being. She paused, and said nothing.

"After you are either detected or we decide it's time to invade, Wolverine and I will come in as the second wave. Fight to injure, not to kill unless absolutely necessary. These are probably people we're dealing with, not aliens."

"Any mutants with Griffin should be taken care of immediately. Knock 'em out and allow us to escort them back to Xavier. There may be mind control or psychological damage." Wolverine told them. "That's the only thing he asks of you, besides not killing Griffin."

"Fair enough." Steve agreed. "Back to the plan, Bruce. You'll wait with the jet. I really don't want to resort to bringing you in, but we have no idea what we'll be running into. There could be a thousand soldiers and mutants waiting for us. We may need you."

Bruce nodded in understanding.

"Is everyone clear with the plan?"

The whole group nodded.

"Then suit up!"

OoOoOoOoOo

Georgia and Griffin had been staring at each other for a good five minutes now. Neither of them said anything, they merely sized each other up.

"They won't get to you in time." Ulfrich informed her.

"You just lost the staring contest."

"You're starting to sound like Mr. Stark."

Georgia blinked, then laughed. "Wow, you're right." she said, appalled at herself. "It must be the drugs. I sincerely apologize."

OoOoOoOoOo

Stark waited as Storm brewed a storm in their wake, creating deep grey clouds to cover their position as they flew towards the huge grey building.

"Well, he's definitely compensating for something." Stark said into his communicator. Storm smiled as she flew next to him. Everyone else ignored him.

"On a serious note though, guys, it's gigantic." he continued, hovering above it momentarily with Storm by his side. "We're gonna have to tear it apart to find her. Or Griffin."

"That's an option." Logan growled into the communicator.

"Easy, El Tigre. You're the second wave. Wait your turn." Stark scolded snarkily. He could basically hear his teammates rolling their eyes at him.

"Storm, you wanna get lower?" he asked, turning to look at her. She created a type of mist to cloak them as they descended closer to the building. There was not a guard in sight. It seemed just like a regular old run-down building on the edge of the city.

"Are you positive that this is the right place?" Storm asked him, concerned. Stark nodded, looking around.

"Natasha, Clint, we need you in there now. We can't see anything from out here." Stark said.

"Come get us."

Stark and Storm flew to where the Quinjet was being hidden, each lifting one of their teammates to a closer location, on the side of the seemingly abandoned building.

"Captain and Wolverine, move your location to a cluster of rocks close to the west side of the structure." Storm instructed. They answered affirmative, heading towards the location.

Clint and Natasha found a window, that they swiftly removed from its' pane before slipping in silently.

With a nod to each other, they slinked around the corner in a single file line. Silently, they moved through the darkened, abandoned corridors.

"It's not abandoned. There's electricity." Natasha murmured into her earpiece, ducking around a corner. There was still not a soul in sight, however. Hawkeye followed closely behind her.

At last, they came upon a door that had the buzz of voices sounding from behind it. It seemed like only a few voices could be heard, though. Soldiers? Scientists? Griffin? They didn't know.

Black Widow pressed herself against the left side of the massive set of doors, before slowly stretching up to look through the small window.

Her eyes widened at the sight.

At least five hundred soldiers were standing at attention in the massive room. Rows and rows of grey-uniformed men and women. And that wasn't counting the brightly-colored dressed people that stood at the front, looking utterly bored. One of them was blue woman, another a huge blonde man, then a man clothed in black and red, wielding two katana swords, and then a man wearing... pink armor under a trench coat. His eyes were red. They stood lazily at the front of the mass of people, obviously ignoring the orders being given by black-clothed commanders.

This was all Natasha absorbed before her ducked back down.

"We're outnumbered." she said quickly into the communicator.

"How many?" Steve asked.

"Just a few..." Clint answered, his voice even.

"It's about... one to eighty-three." Tasha told them, doing the math quickly. "Not including Georgia or Bruce."

"The Chitauri were worse." Stark reminded them all.

"They were mindless drones. These are trained soldiers. And they have mutants. We only see four, but there could be more."

"What do they look like?" Wolverine demanded suddenly.

"A blue lady, a guy with swords dressed in black and red spandex, a man with red eyes and pink armor and... a gigantic blonde man."

"Thor?" Tony asked hopefully.

"Sabretooth." Wolverine growled, voice laced with malice.

"Mystique, Deadpool, and Gambit are the other three." Storm offered. "All very dangerous, very worthy opponents. I wonder what Griffin has promised them for their efforts."

"Sabretooth is mine." Logan hissed into the intercom.

"This isn't the time for personal vendetta, Logan." Storm told him patiently. "We'll deal with them as the problem arises. _Do_ _not go looking for him, Logan_." A note of warning rang in Ororo's words, and Logan merely snorted in response.

"Try and find out where Georgia is." Tony instructed them. "If you're spotted, we'll come in. Hold off the fighting until it's absolutely necessary."

"Copy." With that, Natasha slinked down the next hallway with Clint in tow.

oOoOoOoOoOo

"So... what are you going to do with the mutants you've coerced into helping you?" Georgia asked, curious."When you've gotten what you've wanted, anyway."

"Kill them." Griffin answered swiftly.

"And you promised them... what exactly? Money, power?"

"Both. Although Sabretooth and Deadpool volunteered just for the thrill of it, they told me. They didn't want any compensation, merely the chance to wreck havoc. Sabretooth was partial to the though of mutant dominance, however. Deadpool didn't care either way."

"Lovely workforce you've got there." Georgia mumbled. "So that's what you told them? That you were merely advocating mutant superiority?"

"Something like that." Griffin confirmed with a smile.

Suddenly, a small beep went off on a device on a handheld device in Griffin's hands. Georgia craned her neck to see a video of Natasha and Clint sliding through the hallways of the building.

"Right on time." Griffin commented. "I wonder how your boyfriend will react when he finds your body still warm. I imagine he'll tear this place apart."

"I thought you didn't want to kill me, necessarily." Georgia asked.

"You've proven to be quite the handful." Ulfrich said, voice still completely pleasant.

"That's me."

A woman in a white labcoat entered the room. "Sir, the splicer is ready." she told him before slipping back out quickly.

Griffin smiled down at Georgia as four orderlies entered the room.

"Let's go, shall we?" he as the orderlies began to wheel Georgia's hospital bed out of the room. For the first time since her encounter with Sabretooth, she felt true fear for her life. She didn't see how she was getting out of this one.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Wow a lot happened. And I'm like dying of exhaustion. And I have to be up early tomorrow to go to my internship... whooo.

But I wanted to finish this for you guys! I wanted to get out a chapter for both Law and Disorder and Heroic Couplet tonight, as well, but this just took too long to write!

So that'll probably be up tomorrow. Both, or one. Preferrably both.

Okay I need to sleep. Don't forget to review and let me know how this is going! I'm like so excited for these next few chapters.

Spoilers: Tony and Deadpool interact. DOESNT THAT SOUND SO FUNNY? IT TOTALLY WILL BE.

Okay! Don't forget to review or PM me anything you have to say!

I love all of you bunches!

Jess


	29. Chapter 29

Being wheeled down dark hallways, guarded by men with guns to your eminent death is not the way that Georgia imagined her life would end when she was child. Actually, after the publication of J.K. Rowling's _Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone_, she expected to make Elixir of Life and live forever.

But, alas, dreams don't always come true. Because here she was. There Griffin was, smirk plastered on his aging face. Georgia glared up at him, struggling against her bonds without synthesizing. She was going to try her damnedest to get out of there, but being shocked right now was not what she needed to do so.

"Send enforcement to sector two, please." Griffin said into his communicator pleasantly. "Keep the mutants where they are. They know their assignments."

The halls were silent as they marched her to the laboratory. Georgia frantically tried to think of ways to escape, with no ideas coming to mind.

"Would you like to call your friends?" Griffin asked, holding up a cheap cell phone.

Georgia stared at him in disbelief and distrust. "What, so you can trace the calls and track them? No thanks. I don't wanna be that bitch." she snapped, staring up at the ceiling.

"Please. They're going to lose anyway. Don't you want to say goodbye? Tell them you love them?" Griffin said, voice as smooth as silk. "Apologize for something?"

Georgia narrowed her eyes. "I'm going to fucking haunt you when I'm dead." she growled, looking away. "Leave me alone."

"Suit yourself." Ulfrich said, shrugging. "But when you complain of how cruel I am, remember how I offered."

"Most likely for your own personal benefit." Georgia snapped. "Either to find them yourself, or just the satisfaction of seeing me in emotional pain. Haven't you seen enough?"

"Not nearly. But I will soon get my fill of your physical pain."

"You're sick, you know that? Do you get off on this stuff at night, or what?" Georgia yelled, jerking at her restrains. Griffin merely chuckled, shaking his head.

"You just make it so easy, Ms. McGuiness." he commented, strolling along, happy as could be. "If you merely had some self control, you'd make it worlds easier on yourself."

"Well excuse me for not liking the fact that you like to get 'your fill' of my pain, good sir." Georgia snapped.

"Here we are." Ulfrich said cheerfully as they turned into a medical lab facility. Georgia's eyes widened as she took in all of the equipment. A surgical steel table was placed in a strange chamber with an arch around it, but it was open at both sides. Kind of like a tanning bed, but more of a tanning arch. The table had rubber straps for her body, to keep Georgia from synthesizing.

"Transport her." Griffin commanded to the armed guards. They each unlocked a pod with rubber-gloved hands, lifting her while she struggled against their iron-clad grasps.

"Let me go!" she shrieked, losing her nerve as she came closer to her deathbed. "Please, let me go!" They thrust her on the table, strapping her in and covering her eyes with a clear-rubber strip that stuck to her face.

"To keep you from 'scanning'. Don't want you to disarm the machinary, do we?" Griffin explained, smirking at her.

Georgia glared up at him with such hatred that she thought she might burn a hole in the strange glasses.

"I can't wait until my boyfriend rips your motherfucking head off." she told him, her voice cracking with terror. He tsked at her.

"Oh please, stop with the melodramatics. Everybody dies. Why should you be any different." he told her. "Besides, I thought you didn't _want_ to kill anymore."

"Everybody dies, but not everybody is murdered by a psychopath." Georgia snapped, ignoring the second comment.

"Oh? How about those that die of lung cancer? Do they not die because of their own filthy habit of smoking? Are they not murdering themselves? Or those who are obese and die of heart complications?" Griffin asked her, his own voice thoughtful.

"Suicide? Eating disorders? Drinking and driving? Drug overdoses? Are these not all ways that we kill ourselves?" he said. "Humans murder themselves every day. We're not a stranger to murder."

"I swear you have an answer for everything."

"I try." Griffin answered smugly

Georgia stared at him. _'Keep him talking, Georgia. He wants to gloat. If you keep him talking, like he always does, he can't kill you. Give the team time to come and get you. Or, better yet, FIGURE OUT A FUCKING WAY TO GET OUT YOURSELF_."

OoOoOoOoOo

"_We're spotted. Need reinforcement!_" Natasha yelled into her earpiece as soldiers appeared, charging at them. Natasha took a halfstep back without even looking at Clint, and an arrow flew into the midst in the next second. It exploded into pieces as it hit its' mark, injuring more targets.

"Another Budapest, eh?" Natasha said, sending bullets into the femurs of the oncoming men, crippling them. They weren't supposed to kill.

"What is it with you and comparing Budapest to completely different situations?" Clint snapped, and knocked out a charging soldier with his bow. "_So where are you guys?_" he said into the intercom.

"_Storm and I are in the big gymnasium taking out some big numbers with Wolfy and Capsicle." _Stark answered, and they could hear the blasts in the background.

"_Wait... aha, who the hell is this guy with the swords? Be right back, Legolas. This is priceless. I might need to sit down for a minute_."

_With Stark and the others..._

Stark had spotted Deadpool approaching him with his katana's drawn. Other soldiers had backed off Iron Man to allow Deadpool his target.

"So, spandex. Doesn't leave much to the imagination. I'm guessing this isn't how you met your wife, eh?" Stark said snarkily.

To his surprise, Deadpool laughed. "Well, Iron Maiden, to tell you the truth, I'm single."

"A stud like you? No way. You'll find a pretty lady soon enough." Stark told him, shrugging as best he could in his Iron Man suit. He saw the blue lady watching the scene from the rafters.

"I mean you and Dr. Manhattan up there can have purple babies together." he suggested.

"Is that the best you got?"

"Yeah it's been kind of an off day, sorry."

"Nah, it's alright. I gotcha. It's been a long day for all of us. I just want a damn drink, but all these asshole are all 'gotta stick with the mission'. Like, what mission? This Griffin guy's gonna try and off us in the end, anyway."

"And you know this... how?" Tony asked, curious.

"I read the story outline." Deadpool explained easily. "Yeah this chick had it open on her laptop and I kinda just skimmed it. Pretty good stuff, just not enough of me, y'know?"

"Are you high?" Tony asked skeptically, amused by this guy.

"Nah. I just am very obvervant."

"Observant's my middle name." Tony boasted, sizing up his opponent. Deadpool has taken a fighting stance through their conversation and Tony matched it.

Deadpool cocked his head, seeming to be amused by the situation. He flew at Tony, who dodged easily by flying upwards. Deadpool jumped as he went, grabbing his foot and dragging him back down with the uneven added weight.

"Hey. Hands off the merchandise." Tony snapped, landing shakily.

"Flying's no fair." Deadpool protested.

"Are you really telling me what's fair and not fair in this situation?"

OoOoOoOoOo

"So has this transformed into a personal vendetta since the first day you kidnapped me?" Georgia asked, wincing as the same doctor inserted needles into the junction of her arms again. There were at least ten more that had to be inserted into her skin.

"This has never been personal, Georgia." Ulfrich replied, smiling down at her condescendingly.

"Obviously it is, since you're so keen to kill me."

"If it were anyone else, they'd share the same fate. You just happen to be the little miracle that didn't die during the initial transformation of your genetic code." he told her. "Besides, you still may not die. Though the chances are that are slim."

"No help from you." Georgia snapped, but needed to keep him talking. She still had to find a way to escape. "So looking for me tirelessly for ten years created no type of resentment?"

"Not at all. In fact, I enjoyed it. It was like a game of hide and seek spanning over the course of ten years. You could have made it harder for me at the end, however. It was almost like you wanted me to find you."

"I knew I should have stayed in Germany..." she mumbled.

"I would have found you either way. You just may have delayed me another year or so if you'd stayed in Germany." Ulfrich told her cheerfully. Georgia winced as they inserted a needle into her thigh. "But I like this way a whole lot better. In Germany, you had nothing to lose but your own life. By coming here, you have everything to lose. And seeing you squirm is delightful."

"I thought you said this wasn't personal."

"Maybe I fibbed a bit. As I've said, you are quite a handful. And quite a bit more trouble than your worth. I'm not so keen on your mouth, either."

"Well excuse me for not being polite to my kidnapper." Georgia snapped at him, gasping in pain as the next needle went straight through the muscle of her calf.

"Watch it!" she barked at the doctor. The woman merely ignored her outburst, looking straight at her as she jammed a needle into her other calf in response.

"When I get out of this, your head's gonna be introduced to concrete." Georgia threatened, shivering as she realized how many needles attached to tubes adorned her body. Soon, she was ready to have the procedure.

"Please don't threaten my workforce, Ms. McGuiness." Ulfrich said disapprovingly, frowning at her. A scientist was typing in security codes and readying the equipment at this time. Georgia glanced over, feeling the color draining from her face.

She didn't have bravery right now. Not a speck of courage could be found within her. She wasn't a hero. She'd never been a hero. She would die, still not a hero.

"This is the last time I'll offer," Ulfrich began, standing directly next to her. "If you agree to join my forces after the procedure right now, I'll make sure you survive."

"So you can control if I die or not. It's not definite either way. It was never definite either way." Georgia said. It wasn't a question.

"Exactly."

"So if I agree to join your little freak show, I get to keep my life and my sanity?"

"Quite possibly not your sanity. This procedure is still mentally and physically scarring."

Georgia was quite for a moment. She thought about it, joining Griffin in exchange for her life. Then she remembered her friends. They'd be forced to take her out. She'd be a threat to S.H.I.E.L.D. She would probably become a true monster without her sanity.

They'd probably have to kill her.

How selfish was she being? She couldn't do that to her friends. They'd be forced to fight her and take her out, see her in the control of Griffin. She'd probably try to kill them. Maybe she'd succeed.

She pictured Natasha and Clint laughing with her in the kitchen.

Steve blushing as he tried to find a suitable place for his hand at the benefit.

Pepper's smile when Georgia stepped out for the first time in the navy blue gown.

Tony holding her as she cried into his chest.

The look of pure happiness in Bruce's eyes when they woke up together for the first time.

Then she realized, she didn't just love Bruce. She loved all of them. They were her family now. They took care of her and loved her, and she them. Although she couldn't stop Griffin from creating an army from her DNA either way, she could save them from one thing.

Herself.

"Have you made your decision?"

"Kill me." Georgia told him, turning her face away from him.

"As you wish." Griffin said cordially. "But if it makes you feel any better, it is a shame." He walked back to the scientist, giving her a curt nod. She typed in a few codes, and the machine hummed in response around Georgia.

A stab of fear went through her heart, and she started to shake as the arch lit up harshly.

She wondered if Griffin had lied, if the whole deal was actually painless...

But that was before the pain began.

Georgia arched her back against her restraints, experiencing the single most intense pain she had ever felt. It was worse than her electricity rebounding in the pods. It was worse than any emotional or psychological pain Griffin had inflicted on her over the course of the last few days. It was worse than the rip of Sabretooth's teeth.

And it intensified by the second.

Georgia heard screaming in the distance, and as her throat became sore, she realized that it was her own voice. It was high pitched, desperate, and horrible. There was no dying in dignity for her, she would die screaming at Griffin's mercy.

OoOoOoOoOo

Tony stopped fighting and looked up, holding Deadpool was from him by the neck with one hand. He stopped struggling to look up at a screen that took up the whole far wall.

It was Georgia, and her mouth was stretched open in a silent scream. Tears streamed down her pale face as she struggled against her bonds and arched her back.

"Look at your Battery." Griffin's voice challenged the Avengers. "Watch her die. Hear her screams." His audio cut out, and her desperate screaming took it's place. It echoed off the concrete walls.

"Georgia!" Tony yelled, though he knew she couldn't hear him. He threw Deadpool to the ground. He saw Steve standing helplessly, fending off oncoming soldiers without his horrified eyes leaving the screen.

"Please!" Georgia begged through her screaming, eyes clenched shut.

"We've got to find her!" Tony yelled, landing in front of Cap. "We have to save her!"

"We don't even know where she is." he said hopelessly.

Storm floated over to their position. "Stark, go and find her. Wolverine and I will keep the fighting here, along with Black Widow and Hawkeye. Both of you take a direction and find her. Destroy any data they have and bring Griffin to his knees."

"Are you sure you can handle it?" Steve demanded, pausing to take down a few more oncoming soldiers.

"This is more important. We'll take care of it." Storm assured him. She turned, looking up to see Mystique in the rafters. "Go!" She soared up to the ceiling, chasing after the blue woman, who was now a large hawk.

Steve and Tony nodded to each other, and took off to the corridors stemming from the large room.

"I'll take the top floors." Tony said, wincing as Georgia's screams echoed down the hallway from the room behind them. "I assume that we have less than ten minutes to find her before she'll be... it'll be too late."

Steve nodded once, taking off down the opposite corridor. "Let's just be glad Bruce hasn't seen that footage. He'd destroy the place."

"If Georgia dies, we're calling him in." Tony said shortly, hovering over the staircase.

"Agreed." Steve said solemnly, and raced away.

OoOoOoOoOo

Georgia was breathing heavily as the pain suddenly stopped. "Is it over?" she croaked, unable to open her eyes.

"Not in the slightest." Griffin told her dismissively. A button was pressed, her screaming resumed.

OoOoOoOoOo

I wrote this while in class... I'm a bad gurl.

But y'know I kinda couldn't not write this. I'm like dying of how awesome this is. But it's sad. I cried a little bit.

And I'm probs gonna start the next chapter now. Chapter 30. Wow that's weird to say! Thanks to all of you for sticking with me this long! It's so weird that this will be ended soon. But a sequel is in progress. I've decided that I can't let this go. It will begin after I get Heroic Couplet further into the plot, because I want all of my stories to get the love they need. And I need to start Hawkeye/OC, Loki/OC, Thor/OC, and Natasha/OC sooner or later.

I'm also going to do a mini, five-shot for Natasha and Clint quite possibly. Because I love them.

Okay, don't forget to review! Or PM! And remember to check out Law and Disorder and Heroic Couplet (which I updated yesterday!). I love every single one of you, and I appreciate all of your support over this very long process of Circuit Breaker. I'm so excited for the sequel.

Love you all forever and ever!

Jess


	30. Chapter 30

Georgia had been screaming for what seemed to be hours and hours. After an agonizingly long period of time, the machine would stop, recalibrate, and continue it's work on her. Her breathing became heavier and heavier as the time wore on.

She knew that she was dying.

Every second, every time that it stopped for a few precious seconds, she felt it. Her body was failing her. It became harder for her to fill her lungs with air, harder to open her eyes and glare at Griffin with hatred. It was even hard to feel that hatred anymore. To feel anything, really.

Surprisingly, she wasn't scared anymore. She was regretful, regretful that she couldn't stop it. She wasn't strong enough to save herself. She wasn't a hero.

But no matter how much her body failed her, her vocal chords wouldn't stop. She couldn't end the screams of pure agony that erupted from her body every time that machine started it's work on her once more.

It had been longer than usual since the last bout of pain, and Georgia was able to muster up the courage, and the strength, to open her eyes.

Griffin was staring down at her curiously. "You haven't died." he said.

"I've noticed. Disappointed?" Georgia croaked, only just finding the words within her jumbled, pain-ridden mind.

"You should have died by now."

Georgia said nothing. She wanted to, she had the sarcastic words left, but her mouth wouldn't move. She simply blinked at him, dazed and weak.

"How are you still alive?" Griffin demanded. "Have they made you immortal somehow? Have they given you a Super-Soldier serum? What have they done?"

Georgia merely stared at him, unable to answer.

He struck her. For the first time, Ulfrich Griffin showed true signs of anger. Throughout this whole process, he had been calm, cool, and collected. Now, rage and madness shown in his eyes.

Georgia's head snapped to the side from the force of the blow. She slowly turned back to stare at him once more, lip bloodied by the blow.

"Tell me!" he shouted.

But all she could do was stare at him accusingly, unable, or maybe unwilling, to answer. He growled, storming away from the operating table that Georgia was strapped to.

"Highest capacity, please." Griffin murmured to the scientist, calm demeanor back. Georgia felt tears leaking out of her eyes as she realized that she wasn't going to survive this much longer.

But as she felt the tears run down her face, she suddenly noticed that the rubber mask that had been placed over her eyes to keep her from scanning was gone. Her eyes shifted to the floor, and saw it lying there. The force of Griffin's blow had knocked it off her face.

A glimmer of hope erupted in Georgia's body. If she could scan, only for one second uninterrupted, she could take out the machine.

Georgia forced her eyes back open. She had one chance. She wouldn't survive this next one, she had a very strong feeling about that. Her vision faded in and out as she tried to assemble the strength to scan.

Her blue vision flickered on and off. She had to do this fast. If Griffin noticed, she'd be dead by gunshot. If the machine was able to boot up, she would be killed. Even if, by miracle, she survived the next series of experimentation, she wouldn't be strong enough to even open her eyes, much less scan.

The machine hummed with life around her. Georgia began to panic, and her vision flickered even more rapidly. The light envelopped her body as the last moment of her life drew nearer.

Finally, her vision held on long enough for her to send a tiny signal to the internals of the machine before she sighed in exhaustion from the tiny exertion. The machine shut down, the lights dimmed, and it was silent in the room.

When Griffin suddenly realized what had happened, it was too late. The scientist manning the technology tried her hardest to get it back online and failed. Georgia's chest heaved in rapid, shallow breaths. She clenched her fists, and realized that they were free.

She had been so delirious, she had sent a signal to all the technology surrounding her body and not even noticed the difference. No wonder it drained her body so forcefully.

She willed her body to move, to run. It was her only chance to get away. Griffin must have realized this, as well, as he ignored her freed state to frantically try and get the program back online. But why? They had her genetic code copied, why was the program so important?

A wave of intense pain wracked her thin body suddenly. Georgia's muscles seized up, and she felt paralyzed. It seemed as though her torture was not completely over yet. When it subsided, she groaned in pain, eyes clenched shut.

Again, Georgia willed her body to move. Her muscles merely twitched in response, getting her nowhere very fast. She had used the last of her energy to stop her death. Or perhaps, she only delayed it for a while.

OoOoOoOoOo

Tony had scoured each floor, with no sign of Georgia. He should have been able to hear her screaming, but no sound was heard on any of the floors he checked. He opened every door, but all of the rooms were empty.

"I swear if she's in the basement and I have to walk _all the way_ down those stairs..." he murmured, opening another door to find... Georgia... strapped to a table, with a bunch of scientists milling urgently around the room.

"Well, that was anti-climatic." he said to himself as the guards turned to charge at him, guns blazing.

Tony took the nearest two out with blasts from his thrustors, and knocked the next three out with blows to the head.

"Backup required on Alpha Base." a scientist squeaked into her earpiece as she dove for cover. There were only around ten guards adorning the laboratory, and Stark made quick work of them.

"Captain, I've got her." Tony said into his communication device, but before he could tell him where, a guard snuck up behind him and struck him in the head with the butt of his shotgun. Reinforcement had arrived.

Georgia lifted her head slightly, to see what all the commotion was about, and saw flashes of Tony's red and gold suit.

"Tony?" she moaned from her position, feebly trying to get up and go to him. Her felt fresh tears, though this time of happiness, stream down her face. "Tony?"

He looked up from where fifteen guards surrounded him, and he spotted Georgia on the table. He was hit hard from behind as a result of his distraction, and had to turn his attention back to fighting. He took a second to tell Steve his location.

Griffin backed away from all the action, and turned to run to Georgia's bed. He ripped out all of the needles quickly, and Georgia moaned in dull pain. He lifted her from the table with an arm under her knees and torso, and with surprising ease hurried away with her broken body.

"Put me down." Georgia muttered pathetically, limp in his arms.

"Oh, now you can speak." Griffin said, with only a hint of bitterness. "Do you realize what you've done? Your little stunt may have compromised the whole operation."

"Swell."

"You'll die for no reason now. Your body won't be able to hold on much longer." Griffin snapped, carrying her into the next room and locking the door behind them with a verbal passcode. 'Irish' was the keyword.

"Good."

Griffin set her body down on the cold metal ground to type a few things on a laptop at a large desk. Georgia's eyes flickered blue, and the laptop shut down.

"Georgia!" Griffin shouted, his tone a strange mixture of fury and calm. She smiled slightly, closing her eyes and exhaling slowly. If she was going to die anyway, she might was well use her remaining power to stop Griffin from using her genetics as best as she could.

"I hope you realize that I have a hundred computers throughout this building." he told her disapprovingly.

"Have... fun... carrying... me... to... every... one... then." Georgia whispered brokenly, head lolling to the side as she felt sleep threaten to take over her. She fought it, fearing that she may never wake up.

Griffin sighed, picking her up again and taking her to the next room with the same passcode. The process repeated itself, further draining her already critically weakened body. This happened ten times before Griffin finally had enough.

"What's keeping you alive?" Griffin demanded, scanning her limp body. "What could possibly be allowing you to hold on? What do you have to live for that is so important that you won't die?"

"Du-o..." Georgia sighed, unable to fully form words. She felt sleep creeping up on her mind once more. This was it. She was going to fall asleep and never wake up. She would never see Bruce or Tony again.

But at least she got to see Tony one last time. Her mouth twitched into almost a smile at that thought. He was still fighting. That was enough for her now.

As she drifted closer to sleep, she realized that the humming of machinary behind her back was keeping her awake. She groaned irritably, shifting slightly and feeling the shock of cold metal hit the bare skin of her arm.

Suddenly, she felt energy seeping into her muscles. Her eyes popped open in surprise, and turned her eyes to whatever cold metal her arm was touching.

A simple computer processor was what she was leaning on. Somehow, it was lending her power, like she was plugged into the USB port and was being charged up.

However, it was only able to give a small amount of energy before Griffin picked her up to move her again. He set her down against a wall this time, much to her disappointment. Her eyes flitted around the room with newfound energy. It wasn't much, but she felt as though she might be able to get somewhere this time.

Her eyes fell on a sliding panel door marked 'Laboratory 12; Clones.'

She tried to spring up, but her muscles failed her as she tried to run. She crumpled to the ground pathetically, crying out as her body hit the floor, not two feet from her original spot.

Griffin was on her in a flash, pressing a gun to her temple as a precaution.

He glanced at her would-be destination. "You want to see? Fine." he told her, opening the door and pulling her up by her arm to push her in.

Hundreds of pods adorned the laboratory. Georgia squinted at them... to see naked bodies of fully-grown humans inside.

"They're just waiting on their modified genetic codes to be implanted." Griffin told her proudly as she laid on the floor helplessly. "All constructed and fully grown by myself. My children."

"God... you're... sick." Georgia whispered, disgusted at the term he used.

He ignored her. "My army... all my own children. Perfectly modified killers and spies, all here, ready to be unleashed." he told her. "If only you hadn't acted up, Georgia. Otherwise, they'd have been born by now. "

"Ha." was her only response.

"Oh please, Georgia. Grow up." Griffin said, frowning at her. "Don't you _want_ your siblings to be born?"

Georgia glared at him. "Please. I... I am... I am not their sibling." she said painfully. They were to be clones of her transformed genetic code. The sick term he was looking for was that she was their mother.

"Of course you are_. I _am their father, am I not?" Griffin said dismissively. Georgia looked up at him, having no idea what he was talking about.

He sighed. "Oh _please_. You haven't realized that I am your biological father, yet?" he said, exasperated. "_This_ is why I need new children."

Georgia continued to stare up at Griffin, before bursting out into painful laughter. It was wheezing, and it looked and sounded horrible, but she couldn't help it.

"O-okay, Darth Vader." Georgia stammered through her painful gasping for air. Griffin sighed.

"Look at my eyes, Georgia." he said, kneeling down to meet his dark brown eyes with hers. They were exactly the same shade. She hissed and looked away.

"Stop it." she whispered.

"I killed the lesbian couple that adopted you because they wouldn't give me my child back." he told her, folding his arms behind his back and taking a few steps forward. "I visited the orphanage you were in several times over the years you were there. I paid the place off to keep you from being adopted until I decided it was time for you to be gifted."

Georgia coughed up spatters of blood onto the ground in response.

"You have no idea how proud I am to have my only daughter be the only one to survive the process."

"I hope... that... I disappointed you later." Georgia snapped, not truly believing that this man was her biological father.

"Oh you did." Griffin answered. "And continue to do. It really is a pity. I had such high hopes for you."

He looked down at her. "And now look at you. Reduced to lying at my feet, half dead, because of your pride. You could have ruled beside me, but you insisted on being difficult."

The sincerity of his voice was hard to disregard as false, but this man was nothing but lies. It was hard for Georgia to decide if he was lying or not.

"You... would torture and... kill your own daughter?"

"I am not above punishing my children for their transgressions."

Georgia stared at the ground in rage and fear. It could be true. There wasn't any proof, but it was plausible. She smirked, laughing softly at the ground, purely because she had no idea how to respond other than that.

"Do it, then." she challenged, sitting up on an elbow. "Kill me."

He glanced down at her. "In time. I'll make sure to do it right in front of your friends." he told her dismissively. "We may still need your genetic code. Do try and stay alive, will you?"

Georgia stared up at the clones wordlessly. "You're a sick man." she spat. "And you... are not my father. You're lying to get a... a... a.. rise from me."

"Just accept it, Georgia." Ulfrich said disapprovingly. "Enough with these schoolboy heroics."

Georgia smiled. "Please. If you knew me at all... you'd know... I'm not one for heroics." she told him, before swinging her legs around and knocking him to the ground. She got up, her whole body screaming with agony as she raced to the nearest door, throwing it open and stumbling out.

She broke the electronic lock with a quick zap before collapsing on the other side of it.

"But I am one for cheap manuveurs." she whispered, feeling her whole body convulse with pain.

"Shit, I really am dying..."

OoOoOoOoOoOo

IS HE HER FATHER? IS HE JUST A FUCKING SICKO? I DUNNO.

YAY GEORGIA IS BASICALLY DYING BUT SHE'S STILL TRYING TO FUCK SOME BITCHES BEFORE SHE KICKS THE BUCKET.

So this was my life for the past like 5 hours (not kidding) trying to write it right. I'm still not completely happy with the outcome, but oh well. I hope YOU guys liked it.

SO WILL SHE GET OUT OF THIS PICKLE? WILL GRIFFIN GET AWAY WITH IT? I DUNNO.

Okay it's three AM and I'm like dead. Sooooo please leave me some wonderful reviews for me to wake up to in the morning! Or PM me any thoughts.

Next up: Heroic Couplet. Are you sensing a pattern? I'm trying to update them all evenly.

I hope you enjoy ALL my work and stick around until the end! I love all of you! Thanks for all the lovin' you give me!

Jess

PS: HAPPY 30TH CHAPTER YA'LL!


	31. Chapter 31

Georgia was surprised that Griffin was silent behind the permidently locked door against her back. She imagined that he had another way out, and was currently calmly making his way back to her.

Knowing this, she also knew that she should probably get going. But honestly, she couldn't find the strength. Whenever she tried to stand, her body protested by way of agonizing pain. She was Westley. She had been _mostly_ dead. And now, not being mostly dead anymore, she was weak and in a lot of pain.

"I'd rather take the ROUSes..." she mumbled, thinking of this movie comparison. Her back arched as a violent rupture of pain spread through her back. A strangled cry escaped her pale lips, and she crumpled to the floor with heaving breaths.

Georgia wasn't going anywhere anytime soon. She would have to wait for her prince in hotrod red armor to come and fetch her.

Or for the man who claimed to be her father to cart her off to give unnatural life to his new children. Somehow, the option involving Stark was much more appealing for once.

OoOoOoOo

"Captain, I'll take care of these idiots. Go and get Georgia." Tony yelled over his communicator as he fought alongside Captain in the room he had originally found Georgia. The supply of soldiers seemed to be endless, but it seemed pointless for both of them to be held up with them. Stark could hold them off well enough on his own.

"Are you sure?" Steve answered, swinging his shield and taking out a man behind him.

"Just find Georgia." Tony commanded, blasting one himself. Steve looked uncertainly at Stark from across the room.

He hesitated further as a man dressed differently than all the other grey-uniformed soldiers entered the room. He had pink armor on, but the most striking thing about his appearance were his blood-red eyes and black sclera.

The soldiers stepped aside from fighting the two Avengers as he sauntered in to stand a few feet away from Stark.

"Euh, _bonjour, mes amis._" he said, smirking at the both of them. "How we this evening?" His English had an unmistakably thick Cajun ring to it.

"Whoa, nice eyes." Stark commented, voice condescending. His mask flipped up to get a better look at him, smirking. "I'm guessing you're not a 'vegetarian' vampire, then?"

The man laughed softly, his hand fingering the edge of a playing card absently. "Name is Gambit. Pleasure to make aquaintance, Iron Man. _Aussi_, Captain America." he said, voice smooth as silk.

They both eyed him warily, though he showed no signs of aggression yet.

"Gambit supposes you are looking for _petite femme, non? _ Well, am all for le romantic rescues, but he's afraid that cannot allow you to pass. _Mon patron_ would not be happy if found her before we fixed little problem she caused." Gambit explained, pulling his Bo staff off his back slowly.

"What problem?" Steve demanded, though he wasn't exactly expecting an answer.

"Shut down all of computers storing the data on genetic code. S'amazing what a little spark from little one can do, _non_?" Gambit continued, having no qualms with explaining the details of the situation. "She be kept alive to collect the data again for clones. Gambit's here to keep you from reaching her before that time."

"And you're stupid enough to tell us all of this because..." Tony drawled, sizing up the man quickly. He didn't seem to be much of a threat.

"_Je ne suis pas stupide, non_..." Gambit drawled quickly in French. Steve had no idea what he was saying exactly, but recognized the cognates. "Simply am confident enough in abilities."

"And we're supposed to be threatened by a man wearing pink?" Tony laughed, glancing at his apparel.

"Only real men wear pink." Gambit retorted, smirking. The card in his hand suddenly lit up a bright pink and he tossed it at him with a quick flick of his wrist. Tony's mask flipped down in a flash, and he dove away before the card exploded right where he used to be.

"Oka-ay. Didn't mention that pink shirt had explosives..." Tony mumbled, sending a thruster blast his way. Gambit dodged easily, and charged up his staff so that it glowed as well. Tony took that as a bad sign.

"Captain, go find Georgia." Stark said quickly, hovering a few inches off the ground in preparation to dodge the next blow.

"Now, now, the point to keep both you _here_." Gambit scolded lightly, turning his attention to Steve. He flicked a charged card in his direction, which Steve took cover from behind his vibranium shield. It knocked him backwards, but he was fine otherwise.

"Just _go_. I can handle this joker with the inability to speak well-accented French." Tony said, taking back his attention with a few well-aimed blasts.

"_Excusez-moi? _Gambit's accent perfect."

"Oh please. Your pronunciation is all wrong." Tony scoffed, blocking blows from the un-charged Bo staff with his forearms. Steve took this time to creep closer to the slightly ajar door on the other side of the room. Gambit was distracted for now.

"And where you going?" Gambit's voice suddenly said as Rogers reached his destination. He turned to see a card being flicked at him. Steve threw open the door and dove through it, hearing the explosion sound behind him, along with crashes.

He turned, and saw the door collapsed behind him. Machinary that surrounded the door was sparking fro where it stood blocking off the door. Through a small gap between the wreckage, Steve spotted Tony and Gambit grappling.

"Steve." Tony growled throught the headset. "Go!"

He hesitated, but then conceded. He glanced over his shoulder as he headed into the expanse of rooms and labs that he had to search in order to find his friend.

If Gambit wasn't lying, of course. She could be dead, or dying.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

The amount of soldiers were endless for the other team, as well. Storm and Wolverine were set on taking out their respective mutant enemies. Logan had immediately pinpointed Sabretooth, and Storm was still pursuing Mystique.

That left Black Widow and Hawkeye alone to take care of everyone else.

By this time, they were exhausted. The outcome was looking bleak, and they hadn't even received any word on Georgia's whereabouts or if she was alive or not.

"Should we call in Banner?" Natasha demanded, taking out the kneecaps of two more soldiers.

Clint shook his head. "He'll tear this place apart."

"Isn't that what we're trying to do?" she snapped, taking a blow to the ribs and retaliating with two more to the man's head.

"You know what I mean, Tasha." Hawkeye answered shortly, sending an arrow into the thigh of another guard pointing his gun at Natasha. "He'd kill Griffin. We're ordered to bring him to Fury alive."

"You're right, I _know_ that." Tasha growled, flipping over a female soldier. "But maybe he'll find Georgia for us."

"He may kill her as well."

"We don't know that."

"What do we even know at this point?"

OoOooOoOoOo

Georgia was sprawled out on the ground, her cheek pressing to the cool marble of the floor as she took rapid breaths. She was scared. Her body was failing her.

But she kept thinking of those clones. No matter what, she had to destroy them before she herself died.

At this point, she expected death.

Her dark brown, yet bloodshot, eyes opened at the sound of footsteps coming her way. She moved her head upwards slightly, expecting Griffin... when she spotted a pair of red boots.

"Georgia?" Steve's familiar voice whispered. He knelt slowly as she struggled to get up. Her muscles flinched and she was able to prop herself up slightly on her elbow.

"Steve?" she croaked, and felt his strong arms wrap around her and pull her close to him. She was unable to return the hug, but she nestled her face into his chest as best she could from her limp position.

"You're okay." he breathed, placing an arm under her limp legs and lifting her. "Let's get you out of here."

It was the perfect picture. He would take her away, perhaps to Bruce. She would presumably live and see more wonderful days with her friends. Nobody would die.

Including Griffin. Including those clones. She would live, but her life may result in more death. If they got the data, the clones would be activated. If not, she could be so easily recovered by Griffin.

"Steve." she whispered as he strode out of the room purposefully. "Steve!" He looked down at her, face concerned.

"Forgetting... something."

"What, Griffin?" Steve said, shaking his head. "He's not the priority here, Georgia. You are."

Georgia exhaled deeply, letting her head fall on Steve's strong bicep. She remembered the day she had been captured and how selfish she had been with Bruce before she ran off. If she left now, it would be the same outcome. Her selfishness would cause pain. This wasn't about her.

"Clones." she croaked urgently, needing to make him understand. "I-I don't know... many. Dozens. If they... activated, we'll be... deep shit."

"We'll deal with it." Steve promised, smiling sympathetically.

"N... o." Georgia stuttered. "Let me. I ... blow up lab. Destroy clones, destroy data."

"Absolutely not." Steve told her firmly. "You need a doctor, Georgia. You're bleeding. You have stitches. You've just been tortured for God's sake. You can barely speak."

"I know, I know... but I... need do... this, Steve."

"If you blow up a lab you're in, you'll die."

"I can haul ass..."

"Georgia!" Steve roared, looking down at her heatedly. "You can't even stand on your own. You are not taking this suicide mission. You're going to be fine. You'll see Bruce again. I will not be responsible for your death."

"Let me be responsible for my own, then!" Georgia pleaded, before beginning a round of painful-sounding coughing. Blood spattered on Cap's blue uniform. "Look at me. I may not even survive the ride home."

"Don't say that." Steve said forcefully, moving more quickly through the corridors.

"If it's true, why not... just say... 't?" Georgia sighed, letting her arm fall and hang from her perch in Cap's arms. She suddenly had an idea. "Put down by generator." She gestured with a flick of her finger.

"No." Steve said stubbornly, continuing through the room. She huffed, lolling her head back to glare halfheartedly up at him.

"Steve. I draw strength... electrical sources. ...Want me to have chance of survival... not?" Georgia ground out as a current of pain hit her body like a physical blow. She twitched in his arms, groaning in agony.

"Georgia?" Steve whispered, struggling to hold her still in his arms. When she laid still, her eyes were closed and she her breath was shallow. "Georgia! Okay... okay..."

He backtracked and placed her barely-conscious body next to the generator, taking her hand and placing it on top of the buzzing electrical device.

Georgia's eyes fluttered open as she felt her body, desperate for strength, sap the power from the generator. Although she felt far from one hundred percent better, when her body stopped aborbing power, she was able to stand up shakily, balancing herself with Steve's shoulder.

"What was that?" he asked, placing an arm around her waist just in case.

"I don't know." she said slowly. "I guess... when my body is desperate, it can draw energy from electrical sources. But only when I really need it, 'cause it kind of stopped when I ceased knocking on Death's door. I'm still weak."

"Want me to carry you?" Steve offered kindly.

"As enjoyable as it was to be pressed against your rippling pectorals... would Sarah be very happy to hear her boyfriend is carrying another woman in his free time?" Georgia joked, leaning against the desk behind her.

Steve blushed a little. "Sarah likes you, though." he mumbled.

"Yeah. Every girl 'likes' her boyfriend's female friends." Georgia said, rolling her eyes.

"Pepper and you are best friends." Steve argued.

"That's because Stark's impossible and she knows that I would touch him with a ten foot pole." she countered, grinning. Steve laughed quietly, looking down.

"Shall we continue on?" he suggested, motioning to the door.

Georgia smiled at him sadly, shaking her head. "I'm not leaving with you, Steve." she told him, backing towards the door they came through. He turned to follow her, alarmed.

"Georgia. We are getting you out of here." he told her, grabbing her arm. She smiled again, looking down as she zapped him quickly. He pulled his hand away sharply, taken aback that she had shocked him.

"Please." she whispered, fighting back tears. "I have to do this. Let me do this."

"Georgia... we don't need to you to... I mean, we don't expect you to..." he stammered, refraining from touching her again.

"Neither did I." she laughed, shrugging her shoulders. "But... I need to do this. It's my responsibility." She understood that it may mean death for her, but even now, she felt the effects of her operation returning to her body. This power surge that she was able to take from the machinary must be temporary at best. She would die anyway. Her body was too far-gone.

"I'm gonna die either way. Let me do so on my own terms."

They were silent for a few seconds. Steve took a step forward, and Georgia tensed up as he wrapped his arms around her. Her raised hers to wrap her much thinner arms around his torso, resting her head against his chest.

They pulled away silently.

"Get everyone out." she told him, taking a few steps backwards, her eyes never leaving his. She didn't need to say it, but her eyes said it all. "Do it fast."

'Tell them I love them.' they said to him.

Steve nodded once, turning to his own exit.

"Hey, Georgia." he said from the door. She turned back to look at him imploringly.

He smiled. "If it means anything, you're a hero to me."

Georgia laughed softly, shaking her head. She disappeared behind the door which would lead her back to the clone room.

She left her mind blank as she continued towards her destination. If she thought about it too much, she'd lose her nerve.

Georgia stumbled a few times as she neared the room she had locked Griffin inside. She opened it with a small zap, and stepped inside.

Once again, she was sickened by the sight of the artificial humans floating in fluid-filled tubes. She approached one warily, and found that it shared her hair color and skin tones exactly. It was number 101. The newest one in the room.

She felt her stomach clench as she realized that it must have been what Griffin was working on during her time in solitude here; creating an exact clone of her. Georgia would have emptied her stomach if she had eaten anything lately.

Taking absolutely no chances, she dispatched the individual machine immediately. A red light flashed as the light inside dimmed, and the pale complexion of the clone turned ashen. It would never have a chance to live.

Turning her attention to the next one hundred, she realized that she had neither the time nor the power in her body to dispatch each one, one at a time. She wanted to avoid an explosion, but if she was to destroy all data and the clones before her body failed her permidently, she would have to hack and override the system.

She approached the large computer across from the mass of pods. Her eyes glowed blue as her mind entered the machine, and she searched for the files of her genetic code.

Georgia had to pull away suddenly as a headache took over powerfully, and she groaned as she held her head in her hand.

"Looks like I'm hacking the old fashioned way..." she mumbled, typing rapidly. She got past most of the firewalls and passcodes before she hit a password that she couldn't code out. She sighed in frustration, glancing around her. The last thing she needed was Griffin showing up.

"Irish..." she mumbled, remembering the code from earlier. It went through, and she smiled lightly at her accomplishment. It was a bittersweet moment.

The last thing she had to do was get through a DNA scan, done with a strand of her hair. She smirked as she remembered the TV show _Jimmy Neutron_.

Plucking a strand of black air from her scalp, she waved it over the beam of blue light eminating from the computer. It beeped, then processed the information.

_"Access granted. DNA of _Ulfrich Griffin_." _the computerized voice told her before giving her access to all the files on the computer. Georgia sat back in her chair. She had given a sample of _her_ hair. She wasn't Ulfrich Griffin... to the best of her knowledge, anyway.

"So, _Ulfrich_..." a voice behind her said, sounding amused. "Have you figured it all out yet?"

Georgia turned to see none other than Ulfrich Griffin standing behind her. She scowled at him. "You've hijacked my DNA with your medieval torture machines?"

"Hardly." he said, shaking his head with a knowing smile. "You're _me_. Or rather, a version of me."

"Is this the 'Luke I'm your father' bit again, cause I don't buy it." Georgia snapped.

"Not exactly. It's the 'Georgia, you're actually a clone of me' bit." Ulfrich told her frankly, leaning against the wall next to him. "You're nothing more than a shade of my greatness, created as a cloning experiment way back in the day."

"Why should I believe you?" Georgia demanded, looking down at all the information in her posession now.

"You were gifted with the synthetic X-Gene because no true, organic humans could survive the process of receiving them." he continued to explain, paying her no mind. "Originally, I had cast you aside as a failure, though you were a fully functioning clone. You were hopelessly female, however. I had tried for a male specimen."

Georgia was silent.

"So I put you up for adoption, giving my failure to a couple to raise as a real human. Although, you are merely a science experiment, Georgia. Never forget that." he told her cruelly, smirking at her. "But when we found that no true humans could live with the synthetic X-Gene, we decided to see if a synthetic _human _could withstand the process. Not surprisingly, you did. Which is why I created these one hundred clones to house the synthetic X-Gene as well. Real humans can't survive it."

"I _am _a real human." Georgia yelled, gritting her teeth. "You're making this up."

"Imagine how proud I was, that _I_, essentially, was strong enough to withstand the infusion of a new genetic code. You are made from my genetics, after all." Ulfrich said calmly, smiling down at her as he approached her. "Essentially, you're me. Unless you prefer to call me 'father'."

"You can go fuck yourself." Georgia growled. "I don't believe any of this shit."

"Such unladylike manners." he tsked, shaking his head. He reached over Georgia to press a series of buttons on the screen. The result was a few pictures of Georgia. One as an infant, one as a toddler, as a young child, a teenager, and finally an adult.

Species: Human Clone

Origin: Ulfrich Griffin

Status: Active; Alive

Georgia stared at the screen, and clicked another file of a clone.

Species: Human Clone

Origin: Ulfrich Griffin

Status: Dormant

This clone was male, and basically looked like a male version of Georgia. She pressed the 'back' button slowly, and stared at her file again.

"Finally speechless?" Griffin said triumphantly, and Georgia felt the barrel of a gun being pressed to her temple. She turned her eyes to look up at him blankly.

"The rogue clone." he murmured. "Thinks she's queen of the world, when she's really nothing but a version of a man trying to destroy it."

"The circumstances of my birth don't define who I am." she mumbled back, meeting her dark brown eyes with his. She felt her strength ebbing further. She would have to make a move fast.

"Why do you live, Georgia? You weren't even meant to have life. I _gave _it to you." he told her, voice cold as ice. "Why shouldn't I take it away?" The gun clicked next to her ear.

"I don't know why." she answered slowly. "Why did you even tell me all this? To cause me further misery before you kill me?"

"Essentially."

"I've had a lot worse shit happen in my life than learning that I have a shitty dad." she growled, waving her hand over the computer, wiping it clean. She dove out of the way of the retaliating bullet from the gun.

"And it was all caused by _you_."

"Remember, we're the same person, _Georgia_." Griffin said scornfully, still training his gun at her head.

"I'm not _you_." she disagreed, standing up slowly with a small smile forming on her lips. "I wish I had a better line to go out on, but I don't. So let's end this with the generic, yet oh-so 'Georgia' phrase that I enjoy saying so often..."

"Pray, what is it?" Griffin asked, curiousity taking over as his finger tightened on the trigger.

"Fuck you."

And with that, her eyes flashed the brightest of blues, and red lights began flashing throughout the room.

SYSTEM OVERLOAD. CODE RED. EVACUATE THE PREMISES.

Georgia bolted for the door.

"'_Cos I'm T.N.T. I'm dynamite. And I'll win the fight_." Georgia sang under her breath.

Griffin shot the last five bullets at Georgia as she hauled her ass towards the exit. One hit her straight through the thigh, two into her abdomen, one through her shoulder, and the last right into her bicep.

Adrenaline coursed through her veins as she tried to keep running. There was no way she would make it out of the building, even if she wasn't shot five times. She held onto her stomach and shoulder, trying to stauch the bleeding as she looked for a possible way out.

A window was to her right.

It was her best shot.

"_T.N.T. I'm a power load._" she continued, turning straight for the window.

Gathering the last bit of courage and strength that she possessed, she barrelled her way towards the medium-sized window. Bracing herself for impact, she dove straight through the square and launched herself into the open air.

"_T.N.T... Watch me explode._"

Her eyes opened slightly as she fell from several stories up, but she blacked out before she hit the ground.

Georgia McGuiness was dead.

OoOoOoOo

Now before you bite my head off, I KNOW that Gambit is an X-Man. But he wasn't always one of the 'good guys', and since there's not much to go off of on him, due to him (regrettably) only being in Origins, I don't have much to work with in regards to sticking with movie canon. So he's a freelancer for npw

Okay, because I NEEEEED to do homework now, I'll leave you to LOVE OR HATE IT.

I personally love it. But that's just me. Feel free to disagree.

Will there be a sequel now? Hmmmm.

OKAY TIME TO DO HOMEWORK.

DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW. IM SO SORRY FOR THE WAIT. ADKJFAOIHEAWKFR

OKAY I LOVE YA'LL.

JESS


	32. Chapter 32

Georgia never really had any belief of a higher power. Being a woman of science, she kind of just drifted away from a spiritual life, not that she ever really had one.

But waking up in a white room, she had enough knowledge of the supposed 'afterlife' to know what may be going on.

The first thing she noticed was how she felt no pain. She expected death would be a lot more painful, considering the circumstances. She looked down to find that she was completely naked, sitting on a white couch in a room that eerily resembled her childhood living room. But more white.

"Hey Georgia." a female voice said casually from behind her. Georgia turned to see her mother, Chuck, standing behind her with a smirk on her face and her hands jammed into her tattered white jeans.

"Hey mom." Georgia responded, equally as casually. "How's it going?"

"Well, seeing my daughter at the gates of heaven is kind of a bittersweet moment." Chuck answered with a _chuck_le.

"Is that where I am?" Georgia asked, interested.

"Sure."

"Doesn't really look like the amazing pearly gates I've heard so much about. Kinda disappointing."

"Well, since heaven is whatever you need it to be, the gates reflect your own personal opinion on what they are like, as well." Chuck explained, walking forward and leaning over the side of the white couch. "In your case, our old living room. I wonder what your heaven would look like."

"What's yours?"

"Now, now, that's kind of personal, _mi niña._" Anita, her other mother, scolded lightly as she entered the living room from where the kitchen stood in her childhood. She smiled sweetly at her daughter.

"So I'm dead, then?"

"Cutting to the chase, hm? Yep, that's our Georgia." Chuck said fondly, putting an arm around Anita's shoulders. "Yes, you are dead."

"The matter of if you _stay_ dead is what you are here for." Anita told her softly, her eyes sparkling.

"I have a choice?"

"Of course. You will always have a choice, Georgia. Though the options may not be as defined as we'd imagine them to be, and the decisions not as easy as we'd _like_ them to be." Chuck said seriously, running a hand through her short hair.

"That's deep mom."

"Yeah, heaven kinda does that to you." she answered with a laugh. "You see everything a bit different, say a few more insightful things along the way. It's pretty great."

"So if I have a choice, if we all... have a choice whether to live or die... why did you die?"

"We lingered too long." Anita told her quietly, smiling shyly as her tan palm just barely hovered above Georgia's much paler cheek.

"Lingered?"

"Your choice is final when you either enter heaven or return to your body, but you can hang out beyond the gates for as long as you'd like and still be able to return. Though the longer you stay dead in the mortal world, the more chance there is for health complications after waking up. Time doesn't stop for us." Chuck explained slowly. "We stayed too long, got too used to the little taste of heaven that is this place. When we thought about coming back, it was too late. We couldn't bear the thought of losing this place. So we stayed."

"And left me." Georgia mumbled, sadness creeping up on her.

"We never said that we were perfect." Anita reminded her gently.

"How long do I have to decide?" Georgia said, moving on. She wasn't here to fight with them about how they 'left' her. That wasn't the point.

"As I said, as long as you need, but just remember our mistake. Don't linger too long. You won't wanna go back." Chuck reminded her, leading Anita back to the kitchen. Something inside of Georgia told her that the kitchen were her gates. "And there's a man back there begging for you to return."

OoOoOoOoOo

Everyone got out of the building before Georgia was able to blow up the labs on the other side. They watched from a distance as they waited for her to, hopefully, emerge victorious.

Tony hovered close to the building, watching it from a slight distance. It was completely silence for a moment, before the sound of breaking glass caught his attention. He turned just in time to see a body fling itself into the open air from stories above the ground. Zooming in closer, he realized that it was female. With black hair.

Georgia.

The force of the explosion following her descent knocked him backwards as he flew towards her crumpled body on the ground. It only took out a small portion of the building, but it still left the building on fire and crumbling down.

When it was safer, he flew straight to the place where her body was sprawled out over the ground. He kneeled in his suit, afraid to touch her.

"Jarvis, life signs scan." he commanded, voice panicked.

"I'm sorry, sir, no signs of life found." Jarvis said after a moment. "Breathing ceased, no heart beat. She has died."

"No, no, no, NO." Tony yelled, turning her onto her back slowly. She was bloodied and dirty, her clothes ripped and shredded from the abuses of the man called Griffin, but she was somehow still beautiful. Her face was still peaceful.

"Georgia." he begged, shaking her lightly. "Please get up." His voice was a whisper, broken and as quiet as a young child's. He scooped her up bridal style in the next second and whisked her away at top speeds to the the Quinjet waiting for him.

"Let me in." Tony gasped into his earpiece when he landed at the back of the Quinjet. It opened to reveil all of the Avengers waiting for him along with the two X-Men.

"You found her." Steve said, relieved. Stark flipped up his mask to show that his face was grim, and Steve's relief ebbed away.

"She's dead." he told them quietly, laying her down quickly on the floor of the jet.

"CPR." Natasha commanded, and knelt down next to Georgia's ashen body. She threaded her hands together and settled them onto her chest.

Pump. Pump. Pump. Pump. Breath.

Bruce suddenly entered the Quinjet from the same door as Stark did. "Georgia really did a number on Griffin's HQ." he commented lightly, having been outside to watch the explosion from the distance of the Quinjet. He stopped dead when he said Natasha kneeling, though Georgia's form was hidden by Stark and Steve's combined bodies.

"Who?" he asked, pushing past Clint, who had gotten up to warn him away. He got to the front and saw his love's black hair.

He crumpled to the floor on his knees, pushing Natasha away mid-breath.

Without a word, he began to administer the CPR in her place. He may not be a medical doctor, but he knew enough to be able to save a life if needed. He had worked in India as a doctor before the Avengers, after all.

Pump. Pump. Pump. Pump. Breath.

He continued to work, the room silent, as the minutes ticked by at a achingly slow pace. Sweat formed on his brow as he refused to stop his minstrations.

Breath. Breath.

Something deep inside him ached as he slowly began to realize that those chapped lips he was pushing air through would never respond to his again. He would never feel her arms wrap around him and see her forever-closed eyes glint with her sarcasm or shine with her love for him.

Tears formed at his eyes, but he refused to let them spill over.

"Please." he whispered between breaths. "Please."

OoOoOoOo

Georgia looked down and away. She was silent for a moment. "Aren't you ashamed of me?" she whispered as her parents neared the kitchen. "Of... what I am?"

Anita and Chuck both smiled brightly at her, stopping just before the kitchen. "No." Anita answered simply.

"We were never ashamed of you, Georgia. Never disappointed." Chuck told her. Anita blew a kiss to her daughter and disappeared first into the kitchen.

"I love you, Georgia." Chuck said with a signature grin. "I'll leave the door open for you. No matter what you choose, we'll be proud. We'll always be proud."

Georgia blinked, and the smiling face of her mother had disappeared. She sighed deeply, falling over onto her side on the couch. She wanted to cry, but no tears would come. This wasn't a place for tears.

Another blink, and Reed appeared on the couch, her feet propped up on his lap.

"'Sup, German girl." he said, grinning. She sat up quickly, grinning back at him.

"Finally!" she breathed, launching herself at him and wrapping her thin arms around his shoulders. "The real you."

"You were never this excited to see me _before_ I died." he whined, as she pulled away. "And then you just ditch me for a superhero after? Thanks, hon."

"You're an asshole." Georgia mumbled, crossing her arms in a huff.

"Hey, hey! We're in heaven! No swearing." he warned her, smirking. "I'm just kidding."

"You know how guilty I am about it."

"Georgie. It's fine. You're too melodramatic." Reed said easily, kicking his feet up on the white coffee table in front of them. Georgia shoved them off, pursing her lips at him.

"I can't even do what I want in the afterlife." he whined, placing his hands behind his head and reclining.

"Your feet still don't belong on tables, I don't care where we are." Georgia reminded him pointedly. "Besides, this is technically still my house."

"Which means that, by marriage, this is technically _my_ house, too." he told her smugly.

"That doesn't even make any _sense_!" Georgia shrieked, grinning at him. "This was my _parents_ house. It doesn't belong to me."

Reed was quiet for a moment, realizing the gravity of their situation as she reminded him of her parents. "So. You're dead now too, huh?"

"Not entirely, apparently." she told him with a sigh. "But you are. Which brings us to this question. My mom told me that anyone can return to life if they choose to do so after they die. Why didn't you?"

Reed frowned, staring at her for a long while before deciding to answer. "I don't know."

Georgia scowled, looking away from his intense gaze. "So you just decided to leave me. Allow me to be traumatized for the rest of my life."

"I didn't know you'd be traumatized."

"Oh bullshit!" Georgia growled, rounding on him with fire in her eyes. "I just kill my husband and then walk away unscathed, is that what you felt would happen? If so, you're even more delusional that I thought!"

"Maybe this is why." Reed answered quietly. "We always fought."

Georgia paused, shocked at the quiet tone of his voice that also managed to accuse her. "We did not _always_ fight."

Reed half-smiled. "You're right. I'm being overdramatic." he said easily, reclining in his seat. "But you seem to be doing just fine now. With Banner." The slightly accusing tone returned.

Georgia jumped up. "Oh do _not_ even-!" she exclaimed, unable to finish her sentence. "Even at the gates of heaven you manage to piss me off."

"It's not my fault you're guilty as hell about it!" Reed yelled back, also standing up. "It's just your guilty conscience reacting here, Georgia ! You know it's wrong!"

"Reed, you're dead." Georgia seethed. "I was young. I still _am_ young. I'm not going to spend the rest of my life alone and guilt-ridden. I'm _done_ with that part of my life. I'm _finished_."

"So you've moved on from me, then?" Reed asked, his voice simmering down. "You've forgotten what we had this easily?"

"It's not 'this easily', Reed. I spent _years _going insane. _Years_. I dedicated so much time to you after you were gone." Georgia answered, also quieter than before. She stepped closer and crossed her arms. "I love you."

"I _will always _love you." Reed emphasized. "I never wanted you to be so broken over me." Georgia's head snapped up, eyes accusing and angry. Reed merely laughed. "I was just testing you."

"Don't patronize me, Reed Bennet! I don't care _how _long you've been up here." Georgia growled, and Reed chuckled.

"Same ol' Georgia, for sure." he murmured, eyes glancing to her lips conspicuously.

"What?" she mumbled back, her eyes also drawn to his lips. He smirked as he leaned forward, his lips not touching hers.

"If I kiss you, you'll have to stay here." he murmured, and Georgia was surprised at the lack of breath to hit her lips as he spoke, though it made sense for a dead person not to have breath. "If you come in contact with someone who already made their choice, it's made for you as well. The price of making out with an angel, I suppose."

Georgia's eyes found his, alarm presence in their depths, though she did not retreat. She remembered the hovering hand on her mother's, as well as the lack of contact between them as they met for the first time in so many years.

"Do you want me to kiss you?" he asked her softly, hand coming up to hover just above her pale skin on her face. No air was stirred in the movement.

Georgia wanted to. She wanted to feel the familiar pair of lips against her own, to smell the scent of his shampoo and touch his face. She had waited so many years to do this, she'd thought the choice was to be instantanious if she ever got the chance again.

_... decisions not as easy as we'd like them to be. _Her mom's voice reminded her from somewhere deep in her mind.

Georgia stretched her neck up to kiss him, when he pulled away, out of her reach. Her eyes fluttered open, hurt and anger welling up inside her.

"I can't." Reed told her seriously. "I won't let you."

_The options may not be as defined as we'd imagine them to be._

"Please." Georgia asked, looking at her feet.

_"Please." Bruce whispered._

"No." Reed said stubbornly. "There's a man down there that's begging for you to come back. He needs you more than I do."

"Please." Georgia whispered again. "I want to be with you."

"No." Reed responded, taking another step back as she reached for him.

"It's my choice!" Georgia shouted, tears falling down her face. "Let me go. Please. I can't."

"You _can_." Reed emphasized. "I promise. And you'll be much happier that you _did_."

"No!" Georgia screamed, falling to the floor on her knees. "You can't take this away from me."

"I'm not. I'm giving you something, don't you see?" Reed yelled back kneeling on the floor several feet from her. "I'm giving you back your life. You are free of you guilt about me. I want you to love Bruce with all of your heart without worrying about _me_. I don't want to cross your mind _once_ when it comes to him."

"How can you say that?" Georgia demanded tearfully. "I _killed you_."

"I KNOW." Reed exploded. "You've reminded me and yourself about that little fact too many fucking times, Georgia! Let it _go_ !"

"I _can't!_"

"You just told me that you were done with that part of your life. Pick something!" he yelled.

"I _was_. And then I had to _die_ and fucking see you again. I'm damaged, Reed. I'm so damaged and I'm convinced only death and you can fix me."

"You don't need fixing, Georgia. You need Bruce. And he needs you."

"Five seconds ago you were disapproving of my relationship!"

"I was_ testing_ you! I wanted to see if you could handle it. And you _can_. And I _want you to_."

"I can do whatever I want. I could walk through that door and you couldn't do a damned thing to stop me." Georgia answered, motioning to the kitchen door.

"Then do it."

Georgia didn't move.

"Don't give up your life for me, Georgia." Reed told her solemnly as he stood up.

"Please don't leave me again."

"It's not forever." Reed reminded her, looking around the room. "You'll be back here one day. And Bruce and I will have to fight tooth and nail to win you. But that's going to be a _long_ time from now, savvy?"

"You're not Jack Sparrow, Reed." Georgia reminded him, wiping her eyes as she watched him edge towards the kitchen. It was time for him to go.

"No, but I am a man who loves you unconditionally. Forever." Reed told her, making her cry a fresh round of tears once more. "But I am also a man who cannot love you in _life_ forever."

"I love you."

"I know."

"You're not fucking Han Solo, _either_, Reed!"

They laughed together, Reed almost stepping through the threshold of the kitchen.

"Reed. Is this all real? Or has this just been happening inside my head?" said Georgia.

"_You're_ not Harry Potter." Reed told her with a nostalgic laugh. "As far as I can tell, it's real. But who knows? Life is full of surprises. Death doesn't. And you have so many more waiting for you."

Georgia watched as Reed disappeared into the void that was now her kitchen. She sighed, looking around the room.

With a smile, she remembered her life. Bruce, Tony, Pepper, Steve. How could she have forgotten them so easily in order to die?

With a start, she realized what her parents were talking about. The eternity in heaven with Reed and her parents had made her forget who she loved. She had lingered.

But it wasn't for too long.

Closing her eyes after taking one last look around the room, she allowed herself to let go and let life back in.

OoOoOoOoOo

Bruce had given up from fatigue after almost twenty minutes of straight CPR. He sat kneeling by her side, tears streaming down his face. They had no other way to revive her out here. Georgia was dead.

Everyone was quiet as they circled around Georgia's body. Natasha and Clint were stony-faced but undeniably devastated. He had his arm around her shoulders.

Steve had tears glistening in his eyes, but he wiped them away quickly.

Tony had rivers down his face.

Bruce got up shakily and walked away to sit in the corner of the Quinjet, face buried in his hands as he continued to weep. The others silently took their places, unable to return home but unable to look at the scene any longer.

Nobody seemed to notice as Georgia's eyes fluttered open slowly and blinking as she looked around the Quinjet with blurry eyes.

It had only been around a half hour, but that long dead should have left her with brain damage from her oxygen-deprived brain. But she felt completely fine, if not somewhat groggy.

She couldn't remember what had happened over the course of the half-hour. It all felt simply like a dreamless sleep. No recollection of any dreams or otherwise, although she realized that she had died momentarily.

She sat up slowly, looking around at all the backs turned to her. She shakily got to her feet and walked to the nearest person, tapping them on the shoulder through their metal suit.

He turned, and his eyes widened considerably at the sight before him. Silently, Georgia wiped the tears off Tony's face, and leaned in to wrap her arms around his amored middle.

Dazed, he slowly encased her in his robotic arms, resting his face - the only unarmored part of him - into her hair. She smelt of blood and burning.

"I love you." she whispered brokenly. It was not romantic love confessed. It was deep connection of platonic love that she was professing, and he understood perfectly.

She didn't wait for an answer as she moved on to Steve. He was so startled that he nearly fell back when she made her presence known. He hugged her tightly as she wrapped her arms around his neck, him bending down to hold her closer.

"I love you." she repeated to him, voice cracking with the effort. Again, this was platonic love she was professing, albeit very strong feelings. He kissed her cheek softly in response.

Georgia moved on to Clint and Natasha, hugging them in turn as well. She repeated her confession to them, and they were both silent in response. Georgia understood them, though.

Last, she turned slowly to where Bruce was now standing, staring at her with tears still streaming down his face. Taking slow, measured steps, she approached him. Her eyes never left his.

She stopped short, taking time to study is red eyes and glistening face. His lips trembled as he took her broken, yet alive, form in.

It was at least a full minute of staring before she literally threw herself into his arms. He buried his face into her shoulder as she pressed hers into the fabric of his shirt, shaking hopelessly.

"I-I love you." Georgia cried, feeling the first tears - tears she shed in life - wet her face in ripples. He nodded into her shoulder rapidly, holding her tighter and threading a hand wildly into her hair.

"I love you." Bruce murmured into her hair, pulling back to look at her. His eyes roamed her face hungrily before his lips pressed against hers fervently. She responded gently, having just woken up from the dead. Literally. He slowed down for her sake, but he couldn't help it.

He had thought he'd never get to do any of this again only moments ago.

And now here he was.

And he couldn't get enough of it.

They pulled back and he held her against his chest again, kissing her hair and face slowly, savoring every moment now.

"Can we go home? I need a shower." Georgia mumbled from her place in Bruce's embrace.

The whole ship laughed, gathering around to join Bruce and her in a massive, Avenger group hug. Plus two X-Men.

"_Allons-y_!" Tony shouted, pointing to the controls of the Quinjet for Hawkeye and Natasha to man.

Everyone rolled their eyes, including Georiga.

Everything was as it was supposed to be.

OoOoOoOoOo

HOLY SHIT IT'S DONE.

AFTER THIS MASSIVE CHAPTER... IT'S DONE.

Oh wait. Epilogue, right.

BUT OTHERWISE IT'S DONE.

I'd like to thank you all for sticking with me through this. It's my FIRST finished fanfiction throughout my time on this website, so it's really special to me.

ALL OF YOU ARE SO SPECIAL TO ME IT'S NOT EVEN FUNNY.

But really. Thank you for sticking with me throughout this process, dealing with my dumb humor and terrible writing skills. (But not really. I like to think I've gotten a lot better throughout this.)

I LURVE YA'LL. IT SHOWS BECAUSE IT'S FUCKING 5:48AM RIGHT NOW AND I FINISHED THIS GEM. LUCKY YOU.

And I cried throughout the whole thing.

BUT DON'T FRET.

There IS an epilogue coming your way around Monday (?). After the Doctor Who season premiere. Cause FUCKING DOCTOR WHO IS PREMIERING, GUYS.

And maybe you'll like what I have planned. Probably. I do.

And I'm announcing (officially) a sequel to Circuit Breaker. It's title is to be announced, but it will be pretty crazy. I have a few good ideas in mind. Actually, some REALLY good ideas in mind.

BUT it will probably not be started until AFTER Iron Man 3 because maybe that'll be incorporated into the plot. Maybe. MAYBE.

But guys no I'm so excited for Iron Man 3.

SPOILERS. Did you know that Pepper GETS IN THE FUCKING SUIT AT ONE POINT? I mean it happens in the comics but I have NO IDEA they were doing it in this movie! SPOILERS.

So. Excited.

OKAY. So please tell me what you thought about the final chapter of Circuit Breaker! I very much enjoyed the ride, but expect more lovey-dovey feels from me in the ANof the epilogue! There WILL BE FEELS.

OKAY. I NEED TO SLEEP. AU REVOIR. JE T'AIME. YAY AP FRENCH

LOVE ALL OF YOU.

Jess


	33. Epilogue

"You know I don't like hospitals." Georgia groaned as she opened her eyes again for the first time in a hospital bed. After she reunited with her friends, it had taken less than ten minutes for her body to fail her again, and she fell unconscious again.

"You're not in a hospital. You're at S.H.I.E.L.D's medical bay." Bruce told her, coming to her side immediately when she woke up again.

"Even worse." she replied, raising a hand to rest against her forehead. She felt a tug on her arm as she moved, and realized that there were several tubes taped into her veins. Feeling sick from the realization, she returned her arm to it's original position and refused to move her arms.

Bruce chuckled softly. "How do you feel?" he asked seriously.

"Like I fell out of a window." Georgia answered wryly, swinging her eyes up to meet his.

"You jumped." Bruce corrected her, amused.

"Jumped, fell, whatever. I blew up a madman's supervillain lair after being tortured and somehow survived jumping out of ten-story window. I don't feel like peaches and cream, is the point that I'm trying to make here."

Bruce laughed good-naturedly, albeit he flinched at the mention of her torture, and pressed his lips to her forehead. "You've been out for two days, Georgia." he informed her. "I don't expect you to be doing somersaults."

"I've never somersaulted in my life." Georgia replied hautily. "I'm insulted that you would insinuate that I partake in such flippant acts."

"Ease off on those pain meds, lead thumb, you're using really big words." Tony's voice snarked from the doorway to her room. He was leaned against the doorway with Pepper at his side.

"Oh good, the comedy routine is here." Georgia exclaimed with a sarcastic edge as he entered the room to stand beside Banner, his arm wrapped around Pepper's waist.

"How are you, Georgia?" Pepper asked eagerly. Her eyes drank in the sight of her. This was the first time that she was able to see Georgia since she had run away after her fight with Tony and Bruce.

"Feeling a bit inadequate, I must admit. You're standing her in all your glory and I probably look like a potato."

"A beautiful potato." Bruce assured her affectionately.

"Make all the boy potatoes go..." Tony started, but the searing look that Georgia shot him was enough to make him end that _Princess Diaries_ reference with a mere grin.

Steve entered the room next, and Georgia grinned genuinely at him. He had Sarah in tow, and she looked completely at ease, although she was in a room full of basic strangers.

"Hey Georgia." Steve said pleasantly, just as esctatic to see Georgia awake as everyone else. "You remember Sarah, don't you?"

"Steve, I just died. I don't have amnesia."

Sarah laughed softly, and smiled warmly at the woman in bed. "I'm glad you're feeling better, Georgia." she said genuinely. Georgia couldn't help but return the smile. She liked this Sarah girl. She was just right for Steve, and her demeanor was infectous in the best possible way.

Clint and Natasha entered the room next. They seemed surprised at the amount of people already present. They each took turns touching her arm gingerly and expressing how happy they were to see her awake. Georgia was surprised by their amount of warmth; they weren't overly touchy-feely people. But then again, most spies weren't.

After them came Logan, Storm, and Xavier, and Georgia wondered just how so many people could fit in her room at once.

"Gosh, I didn't know so many people actually liked Georgia." Tony mused loudly, and Pepper elbowed him in the stead of Georgia.

"Gosh, I wonder if anyone would actually show up to _your_ room if you almost died, Stark. I surely wouldn't."

"You would to make sure that I put you in my will." Tony shot back.

"I don't want your money."

"I _do_ have to sign our favorite Brucey-boy over to you, don't I?" he said, grinning wider. "Besides, you aren't so repulse by my money when I sign your hefty paychecks."

"Hey, you do _not_ own me, Stark..." Bruce protested, when the clipping of heels behind them suddenly was drowned out by an exasperated and slightly outraged gasp. Everyone turned to see a shocked doctor standing in the doorway.

"_Excuse me_." the doctor said hautily, glaring at them all. "Ms. McGuiness is _not_ well enough for so much company! _Especially_ not all at once! I said one person, _one person_ could be up here at a time!"

She pointed a finger at Tony. "I didn't even get _asked_ permission from you, sir!"

He held up his hands defensively. "Hey, I wanted to wait for you, I swear. _Pepper_ here, though, _insisted _that we break the rules and just barge up here!" he turned to her. "Bad Pepper! Put out your hand!" When she didn't, he lifted it from her side and smacked it gently. "Bad!"

She raised an eyebrow at him and he realized that he'd rather be in trouble with the sassy doctor.

"I don't _care_! All of you - OUT! I have to examine her, and then Director Fury requested to speak to her alone. Come back tomorrow." she screeched, ushering them all out.

"Hey! Why does Banner get to stay?" Tony protested when he saw that he was allowed to sit on the edge of the bed.

"Mr. Banner will be leaving as well, but since he is actually _family_, being Ms. McGuiness' fiancé and all, he has special privilages the rest of you hooligans don't!"

"Do you know who you're talking to?" said Tony at the same time that Georgia hissed, "Fiancé?"

"Yes, I'm talking to the Avengers, a superhero team that saved New York. Big deal, I work with people you were reading about when you were kids. _OUT!" _she growled, pushing his arm and marching down the hallway with the entourage.

Georgia turned her dark gaze on Bruce. "Fiancé, huh?" she asked, with a bit of amusement in her voice.

"What, don't like the prospect?" he teased. His eyes turned serious, however. "It was the only way they would let me in to see you before everyone else, when you were still critical."

"You lied to S.H.I.E.L.D?" Georgia said, smirking. "Don't you think they'll find out you lied when there's no wedding?"

"Who says there won't be?" Bruce said mysteriously, and kissed her forehead. "I love you, Georgia. I'll be back as soon as I'm allowed. Don't electrocute anybody."

Georgia smiled and watched him leave.

Marriage?

He couldn't possibly be serious.

Of course, she'd thought about it before. She could actually imagine herself being married to him one day. But the fact that it verbalized it, and some people believed it to be the truth, made it all too real to her. After her death, she felt no more guilt over Reed. Georgia didn't understand why, but she wondered if her own death, no matter how brief, made up for it somehow. She didn't remember anything from her time away from the world of the living, but she wondered if she had ended up in heaven or hell.

A warmth spread throughout her body as her thoughts returned to marrying Bruce one day. A small smile tugged at her lips.

Her thoughts were interrupted as the doctor entered her room once more, still appearing agitated.

"You keep such interesting company, Ms. McGuiness." she said wryly, glancing at Georgia's test results on a clipboard.

Georgia shrugged. "They're sorta idiots." she replied easily.

"Quite." the doctor agreed, flicking her eyes to Georgia's briefly and smirking slightly. "So I'm Doctor Gwen Smith, and it's nice to finally meet you. You were unconcious for a bit."

"So I've heard, doctor. What's the verdict? Am I gonna be alright?"

"As far as we can tell, most of your body will not have any terribly long-term damage. We detected radiation, however. What were you exposed to?"

"Griffin was replicating my DNA with some type of machine. It was definitely a high concentration of radiation, though I'm not sure what kind." Georgia answered. "And what do you mean 'most of my body'?"

"Ah. That would explain it, then." Smith said quietly, sitting on the edge of Georgia's bed. "When I mean 'most of your body', I mean... well, there's really not an easy way to tell you this."

"Just tell me. I've been through enough shit recently to develop a pretty thick skin." Georgia snapped, worried now. "What happened? _Tell me._"

Smith hesitately for another minute. "The radiation damaged your body. Everywhere. Pretty severely. But you will recover with some time." she said hopefully, still trying to lighten the blow that was coming. "But... one part of your body will be unable to fully recover."

"WHAT?" Georgia roared, unable to contain her terror and anger. What? Her powers? Her mind? Her heart? Her limbs? There were so many crippling possibilities. _Which one_?

"Your reproductive organs took the harshest blow." Gwen finally answered. "You are now unable to have children. I'm sorry."

She felt as though somebody had slapped her across the face. Georgia's eyes widened and she felt as if something deep inside her chest was breaking. Unable to have children?

She'd never really talked about it, but one of her biggest aspirations in life was to have kids. To look down at her own child's face, and see a mini-Georgia. Now, that was impossible.

"Let me go home." she finally said after a suffocating ten minutes of silence.

"Ms. McGuiness, Director Fury still needs to speak with you." Doctor Smith said quietly.

"Damn Nick Fury to hell. I want. To go. Home." Georgia answered, her voice quavering with a mix of rage and sorrow. "I want Bruce. I want Pepper. I want Tony. Please... just, please. Let me go home."

"I can't, ma'am. You're not well."

"I'm apparently well enough for you to spring that on me! I want to go home! NOW!" Georiga roared, feeling her eyes flicker blue. She ripped the needles from her wrists angrily, not even feeling the pain. She flung herself out of bed, a wild gleam in her eyes.

"Emergency in Medical Bay 241. Georgia McGuiness is on a rampage, sir." Gwen said into her earpiece. Georgia shot a thin bolt of blue electricity into the device, rendering it useless.

Gwen darted out of the room to find someone to help subdue Georgia. The angered woman's hair stood on end as her body crackled with high concentrations of electricity. Her eyes glowed bright blue and blue sparks traveled over her fingertips with every step she took through the door.

Nick Fury stood right outside the door, his gun cocked and aimed at Georgia warily. "Ms. McGuiness. Please calm down."

"I am so _sick_ of you, Nick." Georgia answered harshly, narrowing her glowing eyes at him. "My life has been _shit_ ever since you've been involved."

"We've made some mistakes concerning you, Ms. McGuiness. I apologize." he responded, face and voice still calm. "Please calm down."

"Fury, I'm _done_ being calm. I'm _done_ with you." Georgia answered, feeling massive amounts of electricity pulse throughout her body. She was generating so much that anyone who touched her would be fried. It was amazing that _she_ wasn't burnt to a crisp.

"We think that Griffin's experiments on you have affected your powers. Amphlified them. You have to calm down, you don't know what you're playing with anymore."

Georgia heard the click of a silenced gun behind her, and within that milisecond, she whipped around and destroyed the tranquilizer dart with a shot of electricity from her eyes.

Surprised, she felt her body calm down a bit. "Couldn't do that before." she mused to herself, also noting the faster reflexes.

"We don't know what else he's done to you. We need a few more tests- " Doctor Gwen began from behind Fury. Georgia's anger rekindled within her.

"_Tests_? I've been through enough _tests_ and _experiments_ and _torture_ and _dying_ in the past few days, haven't I?" she spat, rounding back on Fury and Smith. He had his gun still aimed at Georgia, though she knew he wouldn't kill her. She eyed it curiously, morbidly wondering where the bullet would find home if he actually shot her.

"He's obviously done something to your abilities, Georgia. Amphlified them." Fury said, using her first name, which sounded weird to her. "And he's done some damage, as well. I understand that you want to be done with all of it, but we _have_ to know if anything else is wrong."

Georgia felt tears gather in her eyes. "No. No more." she pleaded quietly. "At least not now. Give me time."

Fury seemed to debate this for a moment. "Too risky. We don't know how much your powers have been mutated. Let us find out, and we'll let you go. I won't bother you anymore for a while."

"You were _supposed_ to leave us alone after New York." Georgia reminded him.

"Situations change."

Georgia opened to mouth to yell at him further, when a pair of footsteps echoed down the hallway of the otherwise silent corridors of S.H.I.E.L.D's medical bay. Everyone in the immediate area was paused, watching Georgia. Only the hum of her electrified body and gtheir voices filled the silence.

Bruce appeared around the bend, accessing the situation immediately.

"Why do you have a _gun_ pointed at her?" he demanded, stalking up to the facing-off pair. "She's not even well enough to be out of _bed_ and you have a gun pointed at her?"

"Doctor Banner, I'd advise you to step away from the situation." Fury suggested, eyeing the close proximity of the couple. If they touched, Georgia's electricity would flow right into him. It wouldn't kill _him_, of course, but Fury was apprehensive about the possibility of the Hulk.

"I can handle big-kid situations, Director." Bruce answered, glancing back at Georgia, who was still alight with crackles of electricity.

"Are you okay?" he asked, concerned only for her safety, and with those three words, Georgia just felt herself crack from the inside-out. Her face crumbled as her eyes dimmed and her hair lay flat once again.

Fury didn't lower his gun, even as Bruce turned to catch her as she crumpled onto her knees. He wrapped his arms around her as she felt tears spilling down her worn and exhausted face. "What's wrong?" he whispered, holding her close and smoothing her hair.

"I can't have kids." she admitted quietly, clutching at Bruce's dress-shirt and pressing her face into his chest. "I can't have kids, Bruce. He took even that from me. No more little Georgias. No more getting fat or morning sickness or kicking at two in the morning or swollen legs like I've heard about."

Bruce pressed his cheek into Georgia's mat of black hair and sighed. "I doubt I can have kids either, Georgia." he murmured, cradling her face in his larger hands and pulling her up to look at him. "Why are you so upset? Did you want kids? With... me?"

"I don't know, I just liked the ability to _have them, _is all. It'd be nice to have a little Georgia running around, don't you think?" she asked as he pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead. Her eyes were wide as saucers as tears streamed down her pale cheeks.

"I don't know about that, love. I'm quite satisfied with one of you." he said gently, smiling and kissing the tip of her nose. "Besides, with my condition it's probably impossible. I wouldn't want to pass this on to any of my kids, y'know?"

"But you'd make an amazing father and it's not fair to you!" Georgia wailed, a fresh round of tears dripping down her chin.

"Who says these kids would even be with me?" Bruce reminded her, all-too aware of how fast the present can change. Who knows? They might not work out in the long-term.

"Who else would I have them with? Jarvis?"

Bruce chuckled, and kissed her forehead again. "Interesting kids, those would be."

"But I'll never have any."

"Hey. Stop that. You are still going to be a mother someday, whether it's with me or the luckiest other bastard in the world. Your parents adopted you, and they loved you just as much as a biological parent could. You'll adopt, too, and have some fantastic kids no matter that they're not biological, okay?"

Georgia sniffled and nodded. They had both momentarily forgotten that they were surrounded by orderlies and doctors and Nick Fury.

"I don't want some other lucky bastard, Bruce." Georgia murmured as he helped her stand up. "I only want you. Don't leave me. Please."

He started at her words, not used to having Georgia be so openly emotional in public. "Never." Bruce promised solemnly, and then turned to Fury. "Director, she can't have tests right now. I'm no medical or psychological doctor, but she's not stable enough for them."

"All the more reason for her to stay here." Doctor Gwen said.

"She needs her family. We'll take care of her and bring her back if she has any real medical complications. And, once she's completely recovered from the trauma, we'll make sure she comes back for procedures." Bruce told them.

"It's too risky, Doctor Banner. We don't know if anything dangerous has been put into her system or her powers changed to become maliciously destructive." Fury answered.

"We can handle it. If anything happens, we'll bring her back." Bruce repeated. "She's not going to get any better here. She hates it here. She's going to fight you every step of the way."

That didn't appeal to Fury. He didn't enjoy dealing with Ms. McGuiness on a _good_ day, much less countless unstable days. "I'll be in touch." he finally said, and turned to walk away, Doctor Gwen protesting the whole way down the hallway.

Bruce glanced down, satisfied, at the weakened Georgia before sweeping her up into his arms. "Time to get you home, gorgeous." he told her quietly with a small smile.

OoOoOoOo

"Are you sure you don't want any chicken noodle soup?" Tony asked for the ump-teenth time that night. Georgia had been home for two weeks and he wouldn't stop asking her that.

"No, Anthony." Georgia answered, exhausted by his ceaseless pestering about eating the damn chicken soup.

"Are you _positive_?"

"Go bother Pepper, Tony. You're exhausting me with your presence."

"Pepper's out buying chicken noodle soup!" Tony exclaimed, throwing up his hands, exasperated.

"Why?" Georgia asked, dragging out the 'y' in a groan. "I don't like chicken noodle soup! If you want to make me feel better, stop bothering me. I'm reading."

"Fine," Tony grumbled, stalking out of the room. "GATSBY DIES!" He yelled before running away with a mad grin on his face.

"God damn it, Anthony!" Georgia bellowed, throwing the book at the door. It left a scuff mark where it landed, and fell to the floor.

"Don't you damage my stuff, Georgia! I don't care how sick you are!" he yelled through the door, not daring to come through. She scowled in the direction of his voice, looking for some other type of ammunition in case he came back. She picked up her hard-cover copy of Gone WIth the Wind off her nightstand. Perfect.

"If I wasn't in bed with _radiation poisoning_ your ass would be mine, Stark!" It was true. The amount of radiation imposed on her body had poisoned it as well as amphlify her powers. It wasn't going to be fatal, but it would leave her bedridden for quite a while.

"What happened to the adorable Georgia that told me she loved me?" Tony asked, still cowaring behind the door.

"She died!" Georgia snapped, though the joke was morbid. Tony was silent on the other side of the door.

"I'm sorry." she called, regretting the morbid joke a few seconds later. Tony was still silent behind the door. Sighing, she felt as though she should make sure he knew she was actually sorry. Glancing down at the floor, she braced herself to try and stand. Moving the covers off of her body, she inched her legs over to the side of the bed. Her feet touched the soft carpet, and she felt good about this try at standing.

As soon as she pushed herself onto her feet, however, a powerful wave of pain and nausea hit her like a truck. Determined to try and walk, she stayed there for a moment.

The door opened, and Bruce stepped in to check on her.

"What are you doing?" he said urgently, rushing over to gently push her back down on the bed. "I know you're not well enough to be out of bed yet. You need to rest."

"I've been in bed for two weeks." Georgia grumbled, allowing Bruce to cover her bare legs with the comforter again. "Besides, what do you know? You're a physicist, not a medical doctor."

Bruce smiled. "I know because you looked ready to pass out, ma'am." he teased, sitting next to her on the bed, shoes and all.

"I was able to threaten people back at the S.H.I.E.L.D. medical bay." she moaned. "Now I can't even stand. What the hell."

"Well, you were running on high emotions and adrenaline. And you were generating a lot of electricity. Maybe that had something to do with it." he suggested.

"Maybe I should try synthesizing again?" Georgia said hopefully, and Bruce gave her a stern look.

"Don't strain yourself."

She huffed and pressed her face into his button-down shirt. "I'm bored. I probably look like death. I want to do something other than read and have Tony ruin the endings or bother me." she groaned, voice muffled by Bruce's chest. He laughed.

"Give your body some time. And you always look beautiful." he assured her. "Find some other things besides books."

"We could have sex." Georgia suggested, looking up at him. To her irriation, he only laughed.

"That activity falls under the category of 'wasting energy', same as using your powers." he informed her. "And we wouldn't want a repeat of last time, would we?"

"You're a male refusing sex." Georgia said bluntly, turning over onto her back. "The world is ending and I must be hideous."

"Never." Bruce declared, kissing her lips quickly. "I'm just thinking of you. There's plenty of time for that another time. Especially after Tony makes me a better serum."

"But Bruce..." Georgia whined, and he pressed a quick kiss to her lips with a smirk. He ended it before she had a chance to turn it passionate, however.

"Rest." he told her fondly, standing from the bed. "If you want, later tonight we'll all come in with some takeout and watch a movie."

And they did. Georgia was later bombarded with the bulk of their team piling into her room. The aroma of Chinese filled the room instantly, the bags lugged in by Steve and Clint.

"Movie night!" Tony yelled, flopping onto Georgia's bed. She rolled just fast enough to avoid him landing right on top of her. She glared at him, and he merely grinned.

Pepper and Natasha brought in cans of soda and Bruce dumped armfuls of pillows and blankets on the floor.

"How are you feeling?" Pepper asked fondly, handing Georgia a takedown box and a can of Coke. Georgia smiled up at her friend.

"About as good as I look." she joked. Bruce dragged Tony off of his spot on his and Georgia's shared bed, laying next to her.

"Beautiful?" he interjected, kissing her temple. She rolled her eyes and pushed at his shoulder.

"Oh god, you must be dying, then." Tony said cheekily, grinning up at her from the foot of her bed, where he was waiting for Pepper to join him. Georgia kicked him in the leg, and he yelped indignantly.

Natasha popped in a movie as the food and drinks were passed around.

"Are you sure you're feeling up to this, Georgia?" Steve asked from his perch next to Tony and Pepper on the floor at the foot of her bed. She smiled, nodding.

"I'm just glad you all remembered I was in here." she told him fondly.

"It's kinda hard to forget when you're throwing books at me." Tony mumbled, only to be elbowed by Pepper.

"Ow!" he said, voice slightly high-pitched. "Why does everyone keep hurting me?"

"Because you deserve it." Pepper retorted, though her voice held an affectionate note and she laid her head on his shoulder.

"I do not! I feed all of you, and pay three of you, and give you _rooms_ in my _house_, and..." Tony began, before a pillow was shoved at his face by Clint.

"Shut up." Natasha growled. "It's starting."

Tony folded his arms in a huff, and Pepper chuckled at his reaction.

Georgia snuggled into Bruce, watching the movie intently. The only sounds were of chewing and occasional laughter; even Tony decided to stay quiet.

When the movie was over, everyone seemed to freeze in place. It had been so nice to be all together, no world to save, no work to do. Everyone turned to look at each other, each savoring the moment of together-ness that didn't come around very often for them. The world got in the way too much. But right here, right now, all they could feel was how connected they were. How much they cared for one another. It was... a rare and beautiful moment.

But, of course, Tony decided to ruin it.

"Orgy?" he suggested, glancing around the room. Everyone groaned, and Georgia kicked him in the head.

_End_

OoOoOoOoOo

I couldn't figure out how to end this, that's why it took so long and I apologize profusely for my incompetence as a person.

But oh my god it's over. This slow-going fanfic that I started way back last summer is OVER. Took me a year. This is the first fanfiction that I've finished. I'm proud of me.

But, as I said, there will be a sequel. I'm starting the first chapter right now. It will be more of a Georgia, Bruce, Tony and Pepper fic, rather than focusing on all of them together, because it will start before Iron Man 3, continue through it, and finish after the events of the movie. No, Georgia will not be helping Tony (much) in his part of the plot of IM3, because that movie was solely for Tony finding himself and realizing what it means to be Iron Man. It was a fantastic movie, saw it twice in the same day (opening day, as it seems) and if you haven't seen it, I am, disappointed in you.

BUT ANYWAY. The story will have a deeper delve into the relationship of Tony/Pepper, the friendship of Tony and Georgia, and the relationship of Georgia/Bruce. Will they be married? I haven't really figured it out yet. I'm hoping, but I'm along for the ride just as much as you are. I have no idea what will happen.

So! Do continue to read my work, if you so choose to. I appreciate all of you so much and I am touched that you took the time to read my work and send me reviews! I enjoyed writing this so much and I truly hope you enjoyed reading, as well.

Without further ado, I let you be.

It has been totally awesome.

Signing off for the last time on Circuit Breaker,

Jess

PS: Don't forget to leave some final reviews! I want to know your take on where the story should progress from here/anything else you might have to say! Love you all!

PSS: And Law and Disorder and Heroic Couplet will be updated ASAP as well. With summer comes more time to write.


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